Strange Love Found in a Strange Land
by Kiley S. Snape
Summary: Terumi was a female bender that never adhered to the dictates of tradition of the Northern Water Tribe, and now that has landed her in Middle-Earth and aiding the Fellowship in their quest. Whilst in this land, Terumi will face dangers, trials, and love that she would otherwise never had known. Please R&R- I would like to know what you think.
1. Chapter 1

Strange Love Found in a Strange Land

by Kiley S. Snape

"Pardon me, but are you the one named Terumi?" an aged, crackling voice asked. The water I was bending fell back into the pool, and I turned to face an old man garbed in strange clothing. I put my gloves back on, and wrung my hands nervously. My head bowed, I should have known better than to try bending combat water bending forms during the day; it was against my tribe's tradition, and now this stranger would surely alert Master Paku. "Do not worry, my child, I have not come to reprimand you. I seek your help."

"Who are you?" I asked warily.

"I am Gandalf the Grey, and I come from a land called Middle-Earth. I need you to return with me to aid me in a quest," the man, now known as Gandalf, explained.

Suspicion rose within me, "Why not choose one of the tribe's warriors?" I asked curtly. I began to leave, but

Gandalf gently took me by the arm. I raised my hand to strike, but somehow Gandalf stopped me.  
"Terumi, please heed my words- I chose you for a great and mighty purpose, you are whom Fate chose. Will you join me?"

I was conflicted; a part of me succumbed to the call of adventure, while the other part remained apprehensive. I looked at the ripping pool I had bent, and then up to the sky. It was then I made my decision. "I will go with you, but how will my absence be explained?" I inquired.

"If you choose to return, no one will have notice your disappearance. Now take my arm, we must not tarry," Gandalf replied. As soon as my fingers latched onto his arm, we fell past light and time. Through our journey, darkness overcame us; suddenly, we collided with the ground, Gandalf remained standing, but I fell to my knees. "Are you all right, Terumi?" Gandalf asked as he helped me to my feet.

I nodded absent mindedly; I was too busy gazing about the strange place we had arrived in. The air sang with unknown music, and I could feel the life of the place in my bones. My eyes beheld a building, whose beauty surpassed Ba Sing Se with ease, twinkling with light upon a hill. "Where are we?" I asked breathlessly.

"In Rivendell, and we are about to enter the House of Lord Elrond. You are to stay here until I return, do not worry, you will be safe here." Gandalf led me up to the house, and we were received by a man, who seemed untouched by time.

"Greetings, Gandalf, and whom is this bring forth?" he crisp, aristocratic voice cut through the air, and he looked at me with a quirked brow.

Before Gandalf could introduce me, I did it myself. "My name is Terumi of the Northern Water Tribe, Lord Elrond," I said, and bowed. When I straightened up, I saw Gandalf's eyes twinkling with admiration, and I smiled in return.

"This is the woman of Lady Galadriel's vision, Lord Elrond. I entrust her in your care whilst I am away," Gandalf explained.

"Surely you are not leaving now, Gandalf?" I asked, nibbling my lower lip.

"I must seek the head of my Order; he is both wise and powerful. I must not delay myself any further, farewell!"

With great haste, Gandalf departed, leaving me behind in my grief at the loss of his presence.

"This way, Lady Terumi," Lord Elrond instructed, guiding me with an arm about my shoulders. He led me to open, spacious room that lay a ways off his home. "Rest well," he murmured.

I bowed to him and replied, "May the spirits watch over you." Lord Elrond glided away, I pulled off my thick coat, and set it on the chair that lie on the far side of the room. I sat on the edge of the bed and undid my hair from the intricate, multiple braids that formed into one. As soon as my head fell upon the pillow, I slipped into silent slumber.

The following morning, I was awoken by a man, who introduced himself as Glorfindel. The beauty and power that he emitted astounded me. Glorfindel laughed softly, "Have you never seen an Elf before?"

I gave him a puzzled looked and asked uncertainly, "An...Elf?"

That caused Glorfindel to laugh even harder and my heart fluttered at the melodious sound. "We are one of the immortal races, we have lived here on Middle-Earth through the Ages," he explained.

"Then you and I are different races?" I asked, slowly catching on. "So how old are you, Glorfindel?"

"I fear that if I were to reveal it to you, Lady Terumi, you will faint."

I huffed and sighed, "Very well, Glorfindel. Is there a place where I can find something to eat?"

He motioned for me to follow, and I did after donning on a strange dress that was laid out for me. The intricacy and beauty of Rivendell never ceased to amaze me as Glorfindel led me through the city. I was watched by the other Elves, and I tried to remain confident and kept smiling. Finally, I had reached the Dining Hall, and despite the cuisine not being my beloved water tribe food- it was quite delicious. "What is your homeland like, my lady?"

"Glorfindel, for the last time, my name is Terumi. My home is nothing like Rivendell, it snows year-round. However, I could not imagine living anywhere else," I explained, a faint, nostalgic smile curving my lips. I brushed the hair out of my face and up into a wolf's tail. "Could you show me around Rivendell more, Glorfindel, if you aren't busy?" I beseeched.

"As my lady commands," he answered with teasing formality. He took my by the hand, flashed me a blinding smile, and I could not deter my blush. Glorfindel escorted me all throughout the boundaries of Rivendell. We came upon a bridge that connected gardens on both sides of the Loudwater River. he roar of the water below us sang in my blood, and without warning, I sprinted towards the edge of the bridge and leapt off. I soared through the air, and I heard Glorfindel frantically call after me. Before I hit the water, I bent a large column of water that caught me, then lifted me safely back to the bridge.

"Did I scare you?" I asked with a satisfied smile.

Glorfindel beheld me with wonder, and I could not conceal my glee. "You know the ways of magic?" he asked.

"No, not magic. It's called bending in my home. We bend the water as though it is an extension of ourselves," I explained with a chuckle. "Would you like me to show more?"

"Please."

I summoned a sphere of water from below, and morphed into various shapes in between the two of us. He watched me, completely transfixed by the moving water; with a subtle flick of my wrist, I sent the water dancing back into the river. I chuckled faintly and brushed away the thin layer of sweat that had collected on my brow; I strode past Glorfindel and took a seat on a nearby bench.

"Can one bend more than a single element?" Glorfindel inquired as he took a seat beside me.

"There is only one who can do that, and it is not me, and it is a very long story," I replied. my hair had fallen out of its wolftail sometime during my leap into the river, but with mastered ease, I braided it into a complicated plait. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lord Elrond approaching. I rose to my feet and bowed, while I said to him, "Hello, Lord Elrond."

"Lady Terumi," he dipped his head as he replied. His attention turned to Glorfindel and he said, "Glorfindel, your services are needed by Aragorn in the Trollshaws Wood. Lady Terumi, I must speak with you privately." He guided me away while Glorfindel raced away. "Lady Terumi, I have come to tell you the reason as to why you were brought here to Middle-Earth," he paused to clear his throat, then continued, "Long ago, Lady Galadriel foretold of a woman, one whom would help to decide the fate of the world, who would be born in a land where the elements coexist within its people. The woman of the prophecy was identified as one of the children of the Moon and defied tradition to protect...that woman is you."


	2. Chapter 2

"How? Out of all the Waterbenders, why me?"

"Prophecies are never clear in explanations, I am afraid. Now, I will soon be calling to order a meeting of utmost secrecy, but I wish for you to join me. Terumi, a heavy burden has been placed upon your shoulders, are you willing to accept it?" he asked, placing his ageless hand on my shoulder.

I was willing to accept, and worried beyond belief at the same time. How was a novice Waterbender such as I help this Middle-Earth? Even from the sounds of it, they needed the Avatar more than anyone else. I closed my eyes, and thought long and hard on Elrond's words. "I...accept, Lord Elrond, I want to help," I finally spoke softly.

A relieved smile flickered across his face; he took my hand in both of his, and his eyes stared into mine. "I thank you from all those who dwell on this earth. The Council will not gather for many days, I urge you to take the time to prepare for the journey that lies on the distant horizon," he urged, and with that he left.

"My father has a way of ambiguity, does he not?" a melodious voice mused. A woman, whose beauty surpassed even Princess Yue's with ease, emerged from behind the shadow of a tree. Her hair was the darkest of ebony, and she approached with the uncanny grace that only an elf could possess. "I am Arwen Undómiel," she introduced herself, and held a hand over her heart and bowed.

I did the same and replied, "My name is Terumi." I grew nervous under her unwavering gaze, even more so because I felt out of place in the garb of her kind- I wanted to be in my water tribe's cloth.

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" she asked with a gentle omnipotence.

"A little," I admitted, fiddling with the hem of my sleeve.

"Forgive me."

A consuming wave of fatigue crashed over me, and I swayed dangerously on my feet. "Please excuse me, Lady Arwen, but I am feeling suddenly fatigued," I mumbled, and trudged away. Something gnawed at my mind as I stumbled back to my rooms, and it caused me to have to fight to keep my eyes open. I fell into bed, hot and shivering. Darkness came over me, and my strength was no match, and so after a desperate strike of resistance that failed, I succumbed.

"Lady Terumi, it is time for you to awaken," I faintly heard Lord Elrond say, and a cool hand touched my brow. My eyes fluttered beneath my lids, then finally opened; I glanced about blearily, and wondered how long I had been asleep. "You were not asleep, the darkness of this land flooded your being, as you were not accustomed to its overwhelming grasp," Lord Elrond explained ominously, "And the date is October the twenty-sixth, and the Council will come together in a day's time."

"I did not think I missed that much," I mumbled.

"Your main concern should be to restore your strength," Lord Elrond instructed and left me alone after that. I slowly rose to my feet from the bed, and saw a bundle wrapped in cloth with a note attached bearing my name. With infantile steps, I made my way to the parcel. The note read:  
_Lady Terumi,  
A gift retrieved from your home, and something indigenous only to your homeland. _  
_Gandalf_

I pulled the cloth away, and found clothes from my tribe. There was a thick, fur-lined coat, a dress, and boots...but the thing that surprised me most, was a phial attached to a leather thong. I brought the phial up into the light for better inspection, and gasped when I realized what it was. The phial was filled with the water from the Spirit Oasis; surely Gandalf understood the properties this water was claimed to possess. At the bottom of the parcel was a Northern Water Tribe satchel; I packed the coat and boots into the satchel, and then swiftly changed into the dress. I sat down on the edge of the bed, and stared down at the phial with awe; this gift was unheard of, never before had one taken water from the Spirit Oasis, but surely Gandalf knew what he was doing. I tied the phial around my neck, and tucked it under my dress, so that it was safely out of sight.

A faint knock on my door caused me to look up, and saw that my guest was Arwen. "Lady Terumi, it is wonderful to see you!" Arwen greeted me and beckoned me to follow her. "Walk with me?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder. I nodded and came up to her side, and we walked along the stone-inlaid trail.

"Lady Arwen, who else are members of the Council besides your father and Gandalf?"

"There is Gloín, a Dwarf-" she began.

"-A Dwarf?" I interjected curiously.

"A very short race of this land and the men are very hairy," Arwen chortled. She let out an airy sigh and then continued to explain, "Prince Legolas of the Woodland Realm and his father will be here, along with the other Elf lords. The final member is-" she suddenly cut herself off. Her brow furrowed at something in the distance, and so I followed her gaze. It was a man, tall, and auburn haired. He was making his way towards us, and when he came within speaking distance, he spoke, "Greetings Lady Arwen." He looked at me and mused, "You are no elf."

"She is a guest of my father's and of Gandalf's," Arwen explained, and led me away. "A most disagreeable line of Men," she muttered. I looked back and saw the man staring at us. We walked in amiable silence, and suddenly Arwen stopped when a figure of another man appeared in the distance. A blush crept onto her cheeks, and a glow ignited in her eyes. "Will you excuse me, Terumi?" she asked breathlessly.

"Of course," I replied with a nod of my head. I made my way back to the river, and decided that now was as good a time as ever to make up for all the training I had missed. For hours, I practiced familiar and new movements until I returned to my room- my body incredibly fatigued and a deep ache settled in my bones. I nestled under the covers, and swiftly fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The following morning, I was awoken by the sounds of strange footfalls. I brushed away the hair that had fallen out of my braid, and cautiously made my way outside. They were looked like strange, four-legged ostrich horses...only without the ostrich, and the newcomers seemed to be riding them. I walked up to one slowly, and reached out to touch its muzzle. "Leave my horse be," the baritone voice of the man Arwen and I had briefly conversed with barked out, and caused me to jolt back.

"Don't let him get to you, lass," a gravelly voice mused. A very short, very hairy man-surely a Dwarf- approached me. He bowed and said, "I am Gimli, son of Gloín, and I am honored to meet a lass of such beauty."

I blushed faintly at his words and replied, "Thank you, Gimli. My name is Terumi."

"Lady Terumi," Lord Elrond spoke as he came up to me, "The Council is about to begin, if you will please follow me." He offered me his arm, I took it, then he led me to a large pagoda where many were beginning to assemble and take their seats. I sat beside Lord Elrond and another, who I believed to be a child, but was actually a grown man shorter than Gimli and his kinsmen. When Gandalf appeared, I rose from my chair, and launched myself into his arms to embrace him fiercely.

"It does my mind well to see you, Terumi, Rivendell has done wonders to you," Gandalf said softly, and smiled down at me.

"This Council has now come to order," Lord Elrond called out and I returned to my seat.

I tried my very best to listen to everything that was spoken, but after a long anecdote about some Ring, a Dark Lord, and the end of the world...I was hopelessly lost. I sat there silently, waiting for the Council to reach a point in the discussion where I could understand. "That's well enough, but who is she and what business does she have attending this gathering of the utmost secrecy?" the surly, auburn haired man asked, while jerking a finger at me. I shot him an indignant glare, and was about to retort, but Lord Elrond interjected.

"For those who do not know her, this is Lady Terumi. She hails from a land where ice never melts, and whose people possess an uncommonly rare power."

Murmurs broke out amongst the Council, but there was one whose voice was the loudest, the man's, "She is a woman, she belongs in the home," the disagreeable man mused.

The nearby river roared in my ears, and my hands gripped the arms of my chair in a vice. My outrage shoved away my last reserve of control, but Gandalf's gentle hand on my arm calmed my inner storm. I gave him a brief, grateful smile before I returned my attention to the happenings of the Council. At the mention of the fate of the ring that Frodo had placed on a stone pedestal, everyone began to argue. The darkness that had drained me only days ago, crept through the shadows and into the hearts of the Council members. Suddenly, Frodo rose to his feet and cried out, "I will take it! I will take it!" The quarrelling ceased and everyone stared at him, and he finished, "I will take the Ring to Mordor; although, I do not know the way."

Gandalf vowed to be his guide, and then the man called Aragorn, the elf Legolas, Gimli, and the auburn haired man, whom I now knew as Boromir. I looked to Elrond as I rose to my feet, and he gave me a subtle, encouraging smile. "Frodo, I will do all that is within my power to aid you in your quest," I vowed and went to stand beside Gandalf.

"Ah yes, your rare power," Boromir mocked Lord Elrond's previous words.

Once again, my control disappeared with ease, and this time, Gandalf did not stop me. I summoned the water from the gourd at my side and raised my arm. The water coiled around my arm and reared like a serpent above my upward facing palm. I brought my arm down in a diagonally slicing movement until my hand was parallel with my face; the water sprung from my arm and flew towards Boromir. Just before the water struck him, I clenched my hand into a fist, and the water stopped- only a breath's distance from his neck. With more gently movements, I bent the water back into my gourd. Boromir beheld me with awed apprehension, and I inquired with acidic coldness, "Satisfied?"

"Well done, lassie!" Gimli laughed, and clapped me heartily on the back.

"Wait!" another small man came running out from behind the bushes to stand beside Frodo, "Mr. Frodo isn't going anywhere without me."

"Hey! We're coming too!" two more emerged from behind a statue, and went to Frodo's other side.

"Funny how you are inseparable, even when he is invited to a secret meeting and you are not," Lord Elrond sounded vexed, but I could see the approval in his eyes. "So be it," he finished, "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring.

Two weeks after the Council of Elrond, the Fellowship was preparing to leave early one morning. I was taking one last walk through Rivendell, when I found Arwen wandering aimlessly about one of the many gardens. "Arwen, what troubles you?" I asked gently, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The elf-maiden and I had become great friends and confidants; I knew of her love for Aragorn and the slight, albeit evident, disapproval from her father for said love.

"It is Aragorn, he told me to leave for the Undying Lands- that what we had was a dream," she answered faintly.

I did not know what the Undying Lands were, or where for the matter, but I knew that those who travelled there were never to return to this earth. "He loves you, Arwen, anyone can see it when he looks at you," I reassured her in a gentle voice, "Arwen, do not lose sight of hope- for it will always be there...no matter how hard it is to see."

"Come along, Terumi, we are beginning our journey," Gandalf announced as he walked up to me. I embraced Arwen fiercely and kissed her brow in farewell, which she did in return; Gandalf led me away, and when we assembled with the rest of our company, I stood beside Aragorn and the Hobbits. I smiled at Sam, offering him silent comfort before I returned to Gandalf. We began to depart, and I smiled ruefully over my shoulder when Aragorn gazed back at Arwen and the unspoken question was resolved...he still loved her. I stopped to raise my hand in farewell to Lord Elrond, Glorfindel, and Arwen, but patience was not in abundance for one of the company's members.

"Hurry up," Boromir growled as he shouldered his shield and pushed past me. My hands clenched into fists, but I did not retaliate. If I was to be a member of this fellowship, it would not do to be looking for a fight; I adjusted my satchel, and hurried to catch up. We walked for miles and miles, soft and quick as shadows...when we stopped for the night, I fell to my knees and swift set up my bedroll, then fell into an exhausted slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

I rose with the sun, and went in search of water; a couple hundred feet away, I found a trickling stream. I began to slowly go through a simple exercise, simply bending water into variating spirals. A rustle in the bushes caused me to spin my heel and call out, "Show yourself!"

Merry and Pippin shuffled into view, with their heads bowed. "We just wanted to have a look, that's all," Pippin explained bashfully. I smiled knowingly at their discomfort, and wordlessly continued to train.

"There you three are, we have been worried about where you all could have been!" Aragorn exclaimed as he silently emerged from the thicket.

"It was my fault entirely, Aragorn, Merry and Pippin only wanted to watch me train...I am to blame."

"Truer words have never been spoken," Boromir drawled as he came into view from the opposite direction, "We cannot afford to delay."

"Boromir," Aragorn warned and quickly drew me away. "Ignore him, Lady Terumi," he murmured in my ear. We returned to the camp, and to my embarrassment, found everyone packed and waiting.

"There ye are, lass, had me thinking you were dragged off by some beastie!" Gimli exclaimed.

I had the decency to flush with embarrassment, and quickly explained, "I am sorry if I had you all worried, I was out training." I swiftly rolled up my bed, and shouldered my satchel. I stood beside Aragorn, soon thereafter; we set out further into the wilderness.

"Lady Terumi," Merry asked, "Is it true that where you live the ice never melts?"

"Yes, and I imagine it would be quite miserable for you young Hobbits."

"Do you miss it?" Sam asked.

"Does she miss what?" Pippin asked with a quirked brow.

"Home."

I thought about Sam's question for a time, uncertain as to how I was to articulate my thoughts. "Well, Sam...there are some things that I miss about my home, and others that I do not," I answered slowly. I did not elaborate further, although it was obvious the curious Hobbits wanted me to.

"Are you the only one who can do what you do?" Merry inquired.

"No, I am not the only one," I replied with a warm smile, "There are those from different lands that can do what I do only with earth, fire, or air." I chuckled at their awed expressions, and quickly hid my amusement behind my hand to spare them the slight embarrassment. The Fellowship stopped a few hours before the sun set, and set up camp amongst a rocky outcrop. I sat on a large boulder and watched Boromir spar with Merry and Pippin. I smiled when the two Hobbits tackled the Gondorian to the ground, and then proceeded to knock Aragorn off his feet.

"What is that? Sam asked, his gaze facing the direction of the horizon. A strange black cloud was making its way towards us.

"Nothing, it's just a whiff of cloud," Gimli assured everyone from around his smoking pipe.

"It is moving fast...against the wind," Boromir countered warily and rose to his feet slowly.

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas cried out, leaping off his perch on a boulder he had scampered up to gain a better view.

"Hide!" Aragorn yelled, and everyone scurried about to hide everything that would alert the strange creatures of our presence. Sam put out the fire, I uncorked my gourd, and a coil of water formed about my hand.

An arm wrapped around my waist and jerked me to the ground, then dragged me into a niche underneath a rock that was covered by a bush. A calloused hand clamped over my mouth and pulled the brush over us. "Be silent," Boromir hissed, and his arm around my waist tightened. The Crebain, which I now knew to be strange birds with harsh voices, flew away and I lurched out of Boromir's grasp. "Did you think you could kill all those Crebain before some flew back to Saruman and alert him of our presence?!" Boromir hissed angrily.

"I know nothing of your world- so I am sorry for trying to help!" I shouted back at him while I gesticulated wildly.

"Exactly, you know _nothing_. You belong back where you came from, where you can't cause any more trouble than you have here," Boromir's voice grew terribly soft, and the rest of the Fellowship's faces grew grim.

Instead of being all the angrier, I felt only the pain at the brutal honesty of Boromir's words. My head bowed, and I silently walked over to Gandalf. He placed an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. Before I buried my face into his robes, I looked over my shoulder and found Boromir still staring at me. I looked away as my eyes began to burn with tears; Gandalf's hand came up and cupped the back of my head and stroked my hair in a grandfatherly gesture. "Do not listen to him, Terumi, you are here for a mighty purpose, one that only you can perform," he spoke into my ear and looked up to speak to the rest of our company, "The Gap is being watched, we must take the path of Caradhras. We will camp a few miles from here for the night." Gandalf guided me to the front to remain at his side, and I never looked back to see if Boromir was still staring.

Gandalf stopped us at the base of Caradhras; I went to the shore of the river, and watched the river rippled. I took a deep, cleansing breath and held my arms out; I bent a large mass of water, and then formed it into a hollow half-dome. I placed the dome of moving water on the ground and froze it. I carved out a crawl space on one side. I ducked inside, sat on the ground, and listened to the calming sound of the river. My father's advice, '_Nothing was ever accomplished with tears or the unwillingness to try..._' rang in my mind. With a sigh and gentle sweep of my hand, my shelter melted away; I rose to my feet, and saw Gandalf watching me out of the corner of his eye. "Boromir, I wish to speak with you- now," I said, and jerked my head towards the river. He followed me wordlessly and came to side when we stopped. "Listen, Boromir, if we are to be any help to Frodo and this quest, we cannot be at each other's throats. Now I am willingly to start anew, but the question is, are _you_?" I asked quietly.

Boromir met my gaze, and stared into my eyes; his seemed so different from mine, his- the color of steel whilst mine screamed my heritage- the untainted, oceanic azure. "I am willing to do the same, Terumi," he said after a time, "But only if you can forgive me."

I stood there, I whose trespasses had again and again been forgiven, but I could not forgive. Could he erase his terrible words and deeds with a simple request to ascent to the alliance? It could have been no more than a few seconds that he stood there, but to me, it seemed hours. I pushed aside my pride and gave him my answer, "I forgive you, Boromir."

"About time, ye had me considering locking the two of ye up...somehow!" Gimli chortled. He was silenced from saying more with a swift peck on the cheek from me, which sent him into a blushing state of stammers and stutters. Boromir slowly returned to the fire, and as he sat down, a howl split the night air.

"The wolves," Gandalf answered, and rose to his feet, staff in hand. After searching the darkness, and found nothing, he returned to his place beside the fire. Snow began to fall from the black, starless sky; I noticed everyone's apprehension at the change in the weather, but I did not feel the same at all. I looked up to the sky and smiled when snowflakes landed on my face, or caught in my eyelashes. I laid down on my bed roll, and through the dancing flames of the fire, I saw Boromir once again watching me. I gave him a fatigued, half-hearted smile; my heavy eyelids fell, and I slipped into slumber.


	5. Chapter 5

The following morning, I awoke to a thick blanket of snow surrounding the campsite. I pulled out my water tribe coat, and quickly put it on to fight away the chill. I undid my hair and let the thick tendrils fall to the small of my back; with deft fingers, I pulled some of it into a half-wolf's tail, and then shouldered my satchel. After a short breakfast, much to the chagrin of one particular Hobbit, the Fellowship began our trek up the pass of Caradhras.

"You feel at home in this," Boromir commented as he saw me smiling at the thick layer of snow that covered the mountain, and I jolted in surprise. I did not know how long he had been at my side, but long enough to take in my chipper attitude. I nodded, but said nothing in reply. "What do you miss about your home?" he asked, again surprising me with his desire to converse with me.

"The quiet," I mused wryly, and quirked my lips in a teasing smile. He looked at me with indignation for a moment, but then realized my jest and let out a booming laugh. Who would have known such a surly man possessed a laugh such as my father, rich and loud? "What do you miss about…" I trailed off, trying to remember the name of his home, "Gondor?" I finished with evident uncertainty.

"Yes, Gondor," Boromir replied with a faint, albeit warm smile, "I miss the way Minas Tirith was."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," he replied curtly, and his posture stiffened. He increased his pace, and soon left me behind.

"What an enigmatic man," I thought aloud.

"Don't mind him, Terumi," Frodo said warmly as he and Aragorn came up on either side of me. I smiled in gratitude, and wrapped an arm about the small man's shoulders.

"How are you feeling, Frodo?"

"My wound still aches, but I will be fine," he answered my inquiry airily. I gave his shoulder a sympathetic squeeze, and flashed him another smile. "What is that phial about your neck filled with?" he asked, pointing to the phial filled with some water from the Spirit Oasis.

Unconsciously, my hand wrapped around the phial as I explained, "It is water from the Spirit Oasis, which is a sacred pool where the moon spirits dwell, and is the closest place one can get in touch with the Spirit World. The legend of my tribe is that the water of the Spirit Oasis contains extraordinary properties." Frodo stared at the shimmering water, and it seemed to hum with energy.

"It looks so...pure. I have never seen any water such as that here in Middle-Earth," he mused, eyes fixed upon the phial still.

I nodded, and an amiable silence enveloped us as we continued on. Boromir stopped occasionally to look at me over his shoulder. As much as his attitude irked me, he really was quite handsome. We stopped about halfway up the base of the formidable mountain. I gave the Hobbits sympathetic smiles as they thawed themselves out by the fire; I was perfectly content in my coat and boots, unlike the ill prepared Hobbits. To my surprise, Boromir sat beside me, and he smirked at my astonished expression. "Do I amuse you, Captain Boromir?" I inquired softly.

"No, but it seems that I surprise you," he chuckled. Fatigue nagged at my bones and joints, and I struggled to stay awake. My eyelids felt heavier than a sea lion turtle, and just when my eyes would flutter shut, I would jerk and my eyes would snap open. "Go to sleep, Terumi, you look exhausted," Boromir said softly. To his amusement, I only mumbled an agreement and swiftly fell asleep.

We awoke at dawn, what felt like only a few moments of sleep, and I struggled to arise. I was exhausted; I staggered like a drunken sailor with my attempts to remain upright and keep up with everyone else. I pulled the hood of my coat up, and reveled in the warmth from the biting wind. At noon, we had made a good distance along Caradhras' treacherous road. But even after hours of being awake, I could not shake my fatigue, and I stumbled many times. Ahead of me, Frodo tripped and I reach out to grab him-but in my state, I was sent tumbling down the sloped mountain side as well. Aragorn stopped Frodo, and Boromir hauled me to my feet just before. "You look exhausted," Boromir murmured.

I did not argue, that would waste too much energy, and a cold dread seized me when I realized I had lost the phial of the Spirit Oasis water. I frantically began digging through the snow, and fought back the tears; my chest heaved with panicked gasps, and my arms burned and ached.

"I have it here, Terumi," Boromir spoke reassuringly, and held out the phial while he again lifted me back onto my feet.

I fastened the knot, and tucked the phial under my coat. "Thank you, Boromir," I yawned and rubbed my eyes.

"I," he paused, but then continued, "I could carry you for a while."

"I can walk," I said curtly, and walked briskly away from him. I glanced back and saw Boromir looking at me with exasperation; I smirked back at him, and then resumed trudging up the mountain.

Caradhras was anything but welcoming, as we continued our ascension, the weather grew worse. I offered to carve our path through the snow as we traversed through the snow, but Gandalf refused my offers. I flashed Legolas an envious gaze as he danced atop the snow with ease. The Hobbits were frozen to the bone and Aragorn and Boromir carried them on their backs for as long as they could; I wished I too could help carry them, but I was struggling on my own.

"There is a fell voice in the air," Legolas said, turning around so that way we could hear him over the screaming wind. He was right, a faint voice could be heard and the incoherent, formidable words made my skin crawl.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf cried out and shoved himself against the rocky mountainside. Lightning struck the snow-laden outcrop above us, and thunder roared overhead, and I suddenly found myself buried by snow. With cramped movements, I thrust the snow away from us all.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!" Aragorn yelled over the fierce wind.

"No!" Gandalf argued, and I looked at him with incredulous disbelief. Surely if we continued on, the mountain would kill us all; Gandalf shouted strange words of a language I did not know, and they did not seem to fulfill their purpose, for Gandalf looked defeated.

"Enough! Enough! We are departing as quickly as we may!" Gimli cried. The storm lessened its malice, almost as though it was satisfied that we had been beaten and would not dare return. We trudged back down, and noticed that as we did so, clear skies returned...along with black specks that flew overhead.

"The birds again!" Aragorn said, clearly vexed.

"That cannot be helped," Gandalf explained, "We must leave this cursed mountain at once!" A cold wind crashed against us as we all wearily stumbled down the slope...Caradhras had defeated us. We made camp at the base of the mountain, and I slipped into my bedroll, and fell asleep. Amidst my slumber, I felt someone place something atop me, aiding me in my endeavor to retain warmth. I was enveloped by an unfamiliar, albeit comforting scent; I nestled into it, and slipped into a deeper sleep.

A howl tore me from my slumber, and I lurched upright. I let out a startled scream when many pairs of scarlet, fiery eyes glittered menacingly all around us. Boromir, whom had fallen asleep beside me, rose to his feet with his sword drawn and pushed me behind him. "Do not molly coddle me, I can fight!" I snapped impatiently. These wolves were far larger than the ones back home, but I drew my strength and courage from the moon shining down upon us. Legolas shot the leader of the pack after the wolves failed to heed Gandalf's warning. Many fell after the first shot, it happened so quickly, but fate was kind- none of us were injured or killed. Without a thought after the fight was over, I slumped against Boromir, who had already returned to his seat on the ground; I fell asleep before my head hit the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

"So we are going underground?" I asked hesitantly as we made our way north to a place called Moria.

"Aye, and prepare yourself, Lady Terumi, my cousin Balin will have a feast in our honor!" Gimli explained joyfully.

I smiled, but replied warily, "I do not like the idea of being beneath the surface of the earth."

"You worry too much, Terumi!" Pippin said as he patted me reassuringly on the back.

"Pip's right, what is the worst that could happen?" Merry added.

I gave them a small, unconvinced smile, and wrapped my arms about their shoulders, and together we continued our journey to the mines of Moria.

We reached the side of a lake, whose width looked no more than two or three furlongs, according to Aragorn. We carefully made our way along a rim of open ground, but we still had a mile or two to go before Gandalf stopped us. "Well, here we are at last!" Gandalf exclaimed, pointing to what appeared to be nothing more than a wall of the cliff side.

"Why can't we see anything?" I unknowingly thought aloud.

"Dwarf-doors are not made to be seen when shut," Gimli explained proudly.

Gandalf brushed his hands all around the invisible door, and muttered incoherent words under his breath. I let out a faint gasp as I watched faint lines appeared where the moonlight shone and where Gandalf's hands had passed. An ornate, carved stone doors appeared; at the sides lie two trees wrapped around pillars, and in between the trees shone a single star with many beams of twinkling light about it. The top of the door was the outline of a hammer and anvil below a crown with seven more stars.

"It's beautiful," I whispered in awe.

"What does it say?" Frodo asked as he walked up to Gandalf's side.

"Nothing important- _The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter._" Gandalf began to speak in unknown tongues as he pressed his staff against the silver star in the middle beneath the anvil. He continued on in many more languages, but none of them opened the doors. In the end, he threw his staff on the ground, and slumped on a nearby rock. Everyone sat down and waited, all but Boromir and I.

"How I hate this foul pool!" Boromir hissed, and bent down to pick up a stone. He threw the stone far out into the dark lake. As the stone hit the surface of the water, large ripples formed out beyond where the stone fell. "Was that you?" he asked curtly, swinging his head to look at me.

"No, but something in me wishes it was," I answered softly. I glanced over my shoulder at Gandalf, but he did not seem to take notice of the strange movements within the lake. The ripples on the water appeared again, only this time, they were dangerously close.

Startling all of us, the wizard sprang to his feet and started laughing. "Of course- absurdly simple!" Taking his staff in hand, he went before the doors and cried out, "_Mellon_!"

With silent, ancient ease, the door opened, and revealed a black hole, which must have been the entrance into the mines. Frodo suddenly dropped to the ground, and we saw something had him by the ankle. A tentacle had shot out from the water, and was dragging Frodo into the water. The dark water of the lake emitted a foul stench, and twenty more tentacles burst out from beneath the surface. One of them caught me by the waist, and I was hoisted into the air along with Frodo. Aragorn rushed to Frodo's aid and severed the tentacle that was holding him in half. Frodo tumbled to the water, but Aragorn caught him before he hit the black, tumultuous surface. I summoned some of the foul water and sliced the tentacle that was holding me captive. I fell through the air, and before I could waterbend a pillar of water to cushion my fall, I fell into Boromir's arms.

Without a word, he carried me into the mine, and gently set me down on my feet. He wiped the slime that trailed down my face from the water away and brushed back my hair that fallen into my face. My eyes widened as I watched the tentacles shoot out from the water once more and seize the doors, and brought them crumbling down. With a bellowing echo, we lost all light; rocks fell from the ceiling, and Boromir latched onto me and covered my body with his in a protective embrace. Silence fell over us, and Boromir did not release me from his grasp until Gandalf spoke, "The only way out now is on the other side of the mountain...we must face the long dark of Moria. Gimli, walk with me, and the rest of you follow my staff!" The tip of his staff lit up faintly, and revealed a wide, grand staircase.

"Can we sit and rest and have something to eat?" Frodo asked faintly. We all agreed to his suggestion, and after we had eaten, Gandalf began to guide us through the dark, abandoned mines of Moria. As we descended further into darkness, I found myself shuddering at whomever could exist in such a dank, formidable place. The pathways of Moria were vast and bewildered all, even Gimli; fortunately, Gandalf did not stumble or falter.

"Are you all right?" Boromir asked me as we made camp.

"I don't like it here, I miss being able to look up and see the moon," I whispered with longing, and gazed up at the roof of the cavernous hall. But again, like the many times I had looked up while we were walking, I could not see Yue shining down on us, only the consuming-the endless darkness. I slipped into my bedroll, and closed my eyes...but I did not fall asleep until long after the rest of the Fellowship.

"Lady Terumi, we are moving again," Sam said as he gently shook me awake.

I groggily sat up and saw Pippin and Merry doing the same; we smiled knowingly at each other, and rose to our feet. After eating a quick breakfast, we continued our journey through the darkness. We came upon a great chasm, and I half-heartedly listened to Gandalf explain how the Dwarves of Moria mined for a strange substance that he called _mithril_. At any other time, I would have been fascinated, but I felt uneasy in this place...as if some evil lingered deep in the depths below.

Gandalf drew us all to a sudden stop when we reached a fork in the path. "I have no memory of this place," he murmured, but his voice echoed loud to us all. My blood ran cold with dread, and I looked to Gimli, but he silently shook his head. I slumped down to the ground, and buried my head in my hands.


	7. Chapter 7

"If only I were an Earthbender," I groaned faintly. Gandalf perched himself above the fork on a large boulder; the rest of the company did various things to keep themselves occupied, and I silently followed suite. I took the time to fix my messy hair and get it out of my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Frodo scramble away from the edge and went to speak with Gandalf. Out of curiosity, I went to the ledge and peered down into the chasm below to find out what had startled Frodo so. The strangest of creatures with gaunt, lamp-like eyes stared at me with unmatched malice. I stepped away with eyes wide with fear. I collided into a tall, solid frame, I spun around and saw Boromir. I visibly relaxed, and I cast a quick glance over my shoulder and found the creature gone. "What was that?" I asked in a whisper.

"Gollum, were you not paying attention at in the Council? He was mentioned often," Boromir answered.

"Whom?" I asked, all the more confused at the mention of the name and its occurrence in the Council of Elrond, and I looked at him with a quirked brow.

He let out an exasperated sigh and muttered, "Again, if you had been paying attention at the Council, you would know who he is. He is the one who had the Ring before Bilbo, Frodo's uncle, came to possess it. Be wary of the creature, Terumi, he is far more dangerous than he appears." He wrapped a hand around my wrist and pulled me further from the edge. I tilted my head and looked up at him with confused intrigue.

I made to ask him why he was so protective after barely mustering the willpower to be polite, but Gandalf mused gleefully, "It's that way!"

"He's remembered," Merry added as he rose to his feet.

"No," Gandalf argued, his voice echoed down the tunnel, "But the air isn't so foul down there. When in doubt, Meriadoc- always follow your nose." Gandalf beckoned us to follow him once more, and as I walked, I notice Boromir remained close to me. What Gandalf said was true, the air had lost its biting, foul taste; that made walking easier somehow, and certainly made my heart lighter.

"No!" Gimli cried out suddenly, and raced off towards a chamber off of the main corridor.

"Gimli!" Gandalf called after him, but when his cry ignored, we all swiftly followed Gimli into the lit room. Upon entering, we saw a tomb that lie in the center of the room. All about the room were the long-fallen corpses of Gimli's kinsmen. "It is as I feared,"Gandalf mumbled into his beard, his words barely heard over Gimli's moans of grief. Gandalf walked up and brushed away the thick layer of dust on the casket and read, "_Balin, son of Fudin, Lord of Moria_." At his words, Gimli let out a dry, wrenching sob and fell to his knees before the tomb.

We separated and looked about the room; the ground was littered with rubble, broken or fallen weapons, and bodies; the thick air was difficult to breathe. A knot formed in my base of my stomach, and an awful feeling took hold. I glanced over to Aragorn and Boromir, and cast them an uneasy look.

"Listen!" Gandalf's voice echoed through the chamber as he picked up the ruined remains of a tome. Dried blood, gashed, and burns marred the tome, but that did not deter Gandalf. I came up to his side when he remained silent, lost in the writing that were able to be read. "Their end was cruel," he said, finally breaking his silence, "Listen! _We cannot get out. They have taken the Bridge and the second hall. Frár and Lóni and Náli fell there...We cannot get out. The end comes, drums, drum in the deep._ I wonder what that is supposed to mean. The last words are a nearly illegible scrawling of elf-letters: _they are coming._" A heavy, sudden sense of horror fell over us, and the knot in my stomach grew even larger.

"We need to leave," Aragorn said, his voice dark and wary.

"Which way shall we go?" Boromir asked, casting his eyes about. Unconsciously, I made my way over to him, and leaned into him while trying to swallow the acrid taste of my fear.

"Back to the hall- I know where we are, and which way we must go," Gandalf ordered.

The ground beneath us trembled with a resounding, rolling _doom_. Everyone tensed, Aragorn and Legolas sprang to the door, but found nothing. _Doom, doom! _The drum beat again, beaten by large hands that had all the halls and corridors of Moria echoing their beat and trembling. Horns, whose cries made my blood crawl, blew in the now frigid air; harsh cries followed, and the sound of many thundering feet approached us.

"They are coming!" Legolas exclaimed.

"We cannot get out!" Gimli cried out simultaneously.

_Doom, doom, doom_ the drum's beat came again, and the walls around us shook. I held my hands over my ears to muffle the resonating drum, but it did not work. All but me drew their swords, and waited for the swiftly approaching horde. "Keep the east door ajar- we will escape through that!" Gandalf commanded.

Boromir heaved the door we had come through shut, and held it closed with broken swords and splinters of wood. He came back to my side, and glanced at me quickly. "Stay focused," he ordered softly, "And you may live through this." As he spoke he did not look at me, but kept his eyes focused on the barred door. _Doom, doom_ the drums echoed from the deep. The door groaned and bowed under the force of a mighty blow; a crash on the door, then another, then the door cracked and burst open. Strange creatures with demon faces, called Orcs, leapt through the shattered door, shouting out harsh cries.

Legolas swiftly went into action, swiftly followed by Aragorn, Gimli, and Gandalf. I summoned the water from my gourd, and began using the water ship technique. Many of the strange demons fell, but more kept coming through the door. Boromir and I were separated, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw an Orc charging Boromir from behind. Some water froze into daggers on my fingers, and I threw them at the Orc. The ice darts screamed as they soared through the air and then made muffled thuds as they embedded into the Orc's back.

"We must go now!" Gandalf cried out over the din, "Quickly before the troll returns-" He was cut off by the chief Orc leaping into the room while he let out a bellowing roar. The monster was taller than me, and held a huge spear in his hand. With the agility of a Waterbender, the chief evaded Aragorn and knocked Boromir to the ground. The Orc-chief hefted his spear, and caught Frodo in the side and hurled the Hobbit against the wall. I stared at Frodo with wide, disbelieving eyes when he did not move. Aragorn let out a furious cry, and with his blade severed the Orc's head from its shoulders.

"Now is our chance- run!" Gandalf shouted, and led us out the east door. Aragorn swiftly picked up the still unmoving Frodo, and we ran. Boromir tugged me by the arm, silently urging me to run faster. We reached a black chasm, and behind us- hundreds of Orcs were charging after us. Two large trolls were in their midst, and the little hope I had was stolen away. Suddenly, the pursuing horde cried out and fled as if they themselves were afraid of some unseen evil that lurked in the limitless darkness.

"Ai, ai!" Legolas wailed, as he looked beyond the massive, retreating horde.

Black smoke swirled violently about, and a figure wreathed in flame materialized out of the darkness. In its hands were a mighty blade of flame, and in the other was a whip that crackled and hissed. The heat from the creature burned my face, but I could not turn away. The figure alight with fire began to race towards us, and I looked to Gandalf.

"A Balrog," he muttered, more to himself than the rest of us. He turned to us and shouted, "Run! Over the bridge! Fly! This a foe beyond any of you!"

We all heeded his word, and raced across the narrow, precarious bridge of Khazad-Dûm. I turned around when I had reached the other side of the bridge, and saw Gandalf facing the colossal monster. Fire came from the Balrog's nostrils, and it raised its whip, but Gandalf remained steadfast and immovable. "We have to help him!" I yelled and rushed to his aid, but Gandalf stopped me with a raised hand.

"I am a Servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow- you shall not pass!" Gandalf bellowed, and brought his staff down with a mighty, echoing crack. His staff broke and shattered, and with a roar, the Balrog fell.

"Gandalf," I sighed in relief, my voice carried to him, and he turned to look at me.

The Balrog's whip appeared out of the darkness of the chasm, and caught Gandalf by his knees- and dragged him over. Gandalf clutched the edged of the broken bridge and his eyes once again met mine. I rushed to him, but Boromir made to stop me; I used his strength against him, and with a well-placed kick to the feet, I levelled him. Boromir latched onto one of my ankles, and I fell to the ground. I flung my hand out to Gandalf; a tentacle of water shot out and wrapped around one of Gandalf's arms. "Hold on," I whimpered, tears of panic blurring my vision, "Please, Gandalf, just hold on!"

Gandalf looked at me with sadness evident in his eyes, and I already knew what he was going to do before he even began to move. "Fly, you fools!" Gandalf's voice echoed in my ears, and he severed my hold on him, plunging into the abyss.


	8. Chapter 8

Strong arms came about me and dragged me away. I fought against my captor, screamed incoherently, and lunged back toward where Gandalf had fallen. "Stop fighting me!" Boromir shouted at me over my screams and dragged me out into the open sky. I slipped out of his grasp, and when he reached for me again- I shot water at his feet and froze it so he could not chase me. Blindly, I ran away from the Fellowship; I ran until my feet fell into a nearby pool of water. I pulled harshly at my hair, and released loud, wrenching sobs. I stopped yanking about my hair; I balled my hands into fists and bellowed into the heavens. How could the Spirits let him die? He, whom was the only one that would guide us through this nearly impossible quest. My hands shot out and twisted with angry, vicious movements I raised the entire contents of the pool and froze it into large shards of ice. One by one, I shattered the shards against the stones that lie on the pool's floor. "Terumi," a baritone voice murmured softly, "Stop." I lowered my hands, and the shards melted and returned to their home. Violent sobs wracked my body, and I fell to the ground, struggling for breath.

"He can't be-" I began, but my voice cracked and I could not finish. My sobs grew softer, and soon became faint whimpers. I hugged my knees fiercely, and my tears left scintillating trails down my face. Boromir walked up to me, and gently lifted me off the ground. Instead of fighting, I clung to him, and cried.

"We must reach the woods of Lothlórien," Aragorn announced, and pulled Sam to his feet. "On your feet, Sam," he murmured.

"Put me down, I- I can wal-lk," I mumbled to Boromir. He looked down at me, skepticism evident, but he released me with latent begrudgement. I remained close to him as we jogged to Lothlórien; Aragorn and Legolas kept in front of us, and they would cast wary glances back in the direction of Moria. It was a little over an hour when we reached the boundary of the woods.

"Stay close, young Hobbits! They say a witch dwells in these woods, and Elf-witch...of terrible power," Gimli whispered nervously, palming his axe, and looked about cautiously.

"Pay him no heed, Terumi, he knows not of whom he speaks of," Legolas told me softly when he felt me tense beside him. I smiled half-heartedly at him, and when I turned my head back, I was met with an arrowhead a breath's distance from my face.

"You will die before you loosed your arrow- leave her be," Boromir growled, ignoring the arrow that was aimed at him and wrapped a hand around his sword's hilt and came to my side.

"The Dwarf was breathing so loudly, we could have shot him in the dark," the leader of the group of the Elves mused haughtily. Gimli fumed and growled, but held his tongue. The elves motioned us to follow them, and we could only do as they asked.

We were resting in a strange tree house, and the moon was high in the sky. Aragorn and Legolas argued with the Elf I now knew as Haldir in Elvish. I sighed and tilted my face up to feel the light of the moon; silent tears ran their path down my already tear-stained cheeks, and I sucked in a shuddering breath. A felt a presence come to my side, and I cracked open an eye and saw Boromir had taken a seat beside me. "The moon shines brightly tonight," he commented. I looked at him, my overall expression vacant and stoic. "What is Ithil known as in your land?" he asked, and met my gaze evenly. Again, I said nothing- why was he asking me such an inane question as to what the moon was called back in my home? Did he not see that I willingly chose not to speak, every time I parted my lips, the memory of me pleading for Gandalf to hold on crashed tumultuously through my mind. I flinched as the memory of him falling flashed through my mind, and released the breath that was burning my lungs. "Why do not speak?" Boromir suddenly asked harshly, and grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me, "Can you not see you are doing exactly what Gandalf would never want you to do?"

I blinked at him with surprise, and hesitantly wiped my tears away. I sent a silent prayer up to Yue that she and the other spirits would watch over Gandalf, and took a cleansing breath. "She is known as Yue, who was once the princess of my tribe until a short time ago," I finally answered his first question.

"A mortal became the moon?" he asked, confused.

"Tui and La, the Ocean and Moon Spirits, took mortal forms so that they could live with us on earth...when my tribe was under siege, a Fire Nation admiral captured the Moon Spirit, La, and killed them. We Waterbenders were powerless, the moon is the source of our power. The first waterbenders watched how the moon controlled the tide, and learned how to do on their own. Princess Yue was given her life by the Moon Spirit, and so she sacrificed her life and became the Moon Spirit," I explained faintly, never taking my eyes off the waning moon. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Boromir look up to the moon along with me.

"We will travel with Haldir and his company to Caras Galadhon, city of the Lord Celeborn and Galadriel the Lady of Lórien, it is only a day's journey," Aragorn announced, breaking me away from my reverie of my homeland.

"Rest," Boromir suggested.

"The same I can say for you," I yawned and crept over to my bedroll. I turned to Boromir and murmured, "Boromir...thank you."

Just as Aragorn said, the journey was a day to Caras Galadhon; Gimli seemed ill at ease, while Legolas and a few others were elated to be returning to the hospitality of the Elves- despite our less than civil first encounter with the Elves of Lothlórien. Boromir remained steadfast at my side throughout the journey to the Elven capital. We were led up a massive tree with an open, arched hall that wrapped around the length of the tree by Haldir; when we reached the top, Haldir stopped us in front of a set of stairs.

A blinding light appeared at the top of the stairs, and I slowly raised my hand to shield my eyes. From the light, emerged two figures- both Elf-kind, surely. Haldir fell to his knees, and when I returned my attention to the brilliant light, it dimmed. An Elf-man stood beside a she-Elf, the Lady Galadriel, who must have been a spirit visiting this realm; her beauty was flawless, beyond any proper description, and ageless.

"Nine there are here, yet ten set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf, for I have much to speak with him," the elf-lord, Celeborn, said.

"He has fallen into Shadow," Lady Galadriel whispered, but her voice was so crisp, so clear- it echoed deep within all our souls.

"He was taken by a Balrog of Morgoth," Legolas explained.

"The fate of this quest hangs on the edge of a knife, stray but a little- and it will fail.. to the ruin of all," Lady Galadriel mused omnipotently. She stared into Boromir's eyes, and Boromir tensed visibly. He trembled and a sweat broke out on his brow, when he released a shuddering breath- I had had enough.

"Stop!" I said curtly, and stepped into the line of her sight; my eyes met hers, and I heard her voice inside my head. "_Welcome to Caras Galadhon, Terumi of the Northern Water Tribe._" A harsh vision came to the forefront of my mind; it was of my tribe under the Siege. _**Screams of terror and pain ripped through the moonless sky, and jets of fire shot out into the darkness. My limbs were heavy, weak, and I was unable to fight off the Firebender approaching me. Just as he raised a hand to end me, the Avatar- surrounded by glowing water- swept him away. I fell back against the ruined wall of a house, and struggled to remain conscious.**_ "_Remain here while the rest of your fellowship depart,_" she instructed once the scene vanished. I clutched my head, and swayed dangerously on my feet.

"Go and rest," Celeborn ordered, and everyone began to depart, all but me. Boromir noticed this, and he stopped and gave me a questioning look.

"Go on without me, I will be all right, "I assured him, and turned to face Galadriel once more.


	9. Chapter 9

"So this is the woman of your prophecy?" Celeborn inquired as he assessed me with his icy azure eyes.

"Yes, Celeborn, now leave us," Galadriel replied, "I wish to speak with Terumi about the task that lies before her."

"Lady Galadriel, how can you be so certain that I can fulfill the task asked of me? How can I help change the fate of this world, when I cannot even save my own?" I asked after Lord Celeborn had left. I was not an experienced Waterbender that was required to aid Frodo in his quest to save this Middle-Earth.

"Your uncertainty blinds you, Terumi. You showed me the very thing that makes you the only one worthy of this path," Lady Galadriel explained. She descended the stairs, and came up to me; her untainted azure eyes pierced mine, and she said, "You possess unquestionable loyalty, and from that- you find courage."

Unquestionable loyalty? Surely she must be mistaken, because I was far from courageous. But before I could inquire about my supposed courage, Lady Galadriel had vanished. With my mind full of innumerable questions, I descended to the forest floor. I followed a path to a glen, and fortunately found my company. Gimli was fast asleep; Legolas and Aragorn were conversing quietly in Elvish; while Sam, Pippin, and Merry were huddled together.

"Is something troubling you?" Boromir asked, and nearly made me jump out of my skin as he came up from behind me.

"No- nothing. I am fine," I lied quickly, "Just tired, that's all." I walked over to a place isolated from the rest of the Fellowship; Boromir made to follow me, but I stopped him with, "I would like to be alone at the moment." I kneeled down and had my back facing everyone; I tried to pray to the Spirits, Yue in particular, but could not find the tranquility needed. I rose slowly to my feet, and walked a metre or so away from everyone. I fell down onto my knees and fervently prayed aloud, "Please, I beg you- help me find the courage that supposedly lurks within my soul so that I can keep my friends safe. I cannot bear the thought of losing anyone else...please, I beg you." After I finished my fervent prayer, I walked back to my friends; I curled up next to Merry and Pippin, and closed my eyes.

"Boromir is staring at you, Terumi," Merry whispered to me, his voice full of suspicion.

"At Terumi? What for?" Pippin inquired rather loudly, and was swiftly silenced by Merry with a whollop upside the head.

"Don't know, Pip. Are you all right, Terumi?" Merry asked.

"I am fine, Merry, just tired...so very tired," I repeated, and fell asleep shortly thereafter.

I awoke before everyone else, and so I decided to explore Caras Galadhon. I ventured along the labyrinth paths, and found myself at the shore of the Anduin River. I dove into the cool water, and reveled in the feel of the water caressing my skin. I spun my body under the water, and propelled myself to the surface. I laid on my back, and watched the wind weave and sing through the trees; a figure came to the river's shore, and I saw that it was Boromir. I quickly ducked back under the water, and swam to him. I bent a bubble around me, and looked up at Boromir with intrigue. He was searching the water avidly...surely he could not be looking for me? After a time of not finding me, he sat on the shore and stared out. A devious smile grew on my face, and sent two tentacles of water to grab Boromir by the arms. With a sharp tug, I pulled him under, and then returned to the surface before he did. I laughed when he shot up, spitting out water. "You looked like you could do with a swim," I mused wryly, and ducked when he tried to pull me under in retaliation. "Do you want to get another dunking or would you like me to take us back to shore?" I asked with a smug smirk. When he glared, but stopped trying to shove me under, I propelled us back to shore.

Boromir heaved himself out of the water, and held out a hand for me to take. He was stronger than I thought, and I regretted bending a pillar of water to help push me up and out of the river. I lost my footing, and ended crashing into him. "Easy there," he chuckled, and my skin erupted with goose bumps. I stepped back and bent the water off of us. "Thank you," he said and gave me a brief smile; re ran a hand through his russet locks and looked at the scenery around us. "Are you through swimming?" he asked with strained indifference,

"I am actually going to train some new forms I thought of while we waiting for Legolas and Aragorn to stop arguing with Haldir," I admitted, and the tension around us grew thick- tangible. His disappointment was latent, and he said nothing in reply. I gave him an awkward, apologetic smile, and hesitantly began to practice. Boromir sat on shore with his back against a tree; I tried my best to ignore his presence, and took a deep cleansing breath. I took another relaxing breath while pushing my arms, with my palms facing down towards the ground, down from my shoulders to my hips. With slow, meticulous movements I carefully began bending some water into water whip with a head almost identical to a serpent's. I flicked my wrist, and the snake lashed out and snapped its watery maw at an unseen foe; I raise both hands and the water transformed into a thick shard of ice. I brought my arms down, and the ice followed my command with ease. I spiraled my arms about me in a flurry of wild movements, and a dome of water surrounded me. The power of the water sang in my veins, and the water swirled in cacophonous tandem, and I reveled in the mist of water that would hit my face. I froze the water once again, and then leapt into the suddenly still, silent air; the air around me shattered violently, and missiles of ice shot into the sky. As they began to rain down upon us, I waved my arm, and the ice melted back into the harmless water it once was.

I wiped the sweat from my brow, and smiled in satisfaction. "Not bad, for a first attempt at an original form, what say you?" I asked Boromir breathlessly.

"You shall enrapture and make the Enemy tremble before you; I loathe to be the one ordered to meet you in battle, little warrior," he mused as he rose to his feet and shook the water out of his eyes.

"We should return to the rest of our company," I said lamely, and found myself at a loss of words. We walked back and found Aragorn talked to Haldir in Elvish; the Hobbits were returning as well; and Legolas was arguing with Gimli yet again. Aragorn broke away from Haldir, and walked up to us.

"We must leave Lothlórien tomorrow, make sure you rest well tonight," Aragorn explained, his tone laced with dark understanding and conspicuous worry. I grew uneasy at his words- what had Haldir told him that made him so uneasy, so restless?


	10. Chapter 10

After looked at Aragorn with wide eyes, I slowly made my way to my bedroll. Merry and Pippin spoke to me, but I did not hear a single words; the corners of my lips bowed into a frown, and I was trapped in my consuming reverie. My mind ran rampant with thoughts of the unnameable fear that had now all of us on edge. I twisted my hair with nervous hands, and my eyes darted to look at every moving shadow. I let out a startled breath when a large hand gripped my shoulder from behind. "It is I, Boromir." At the Gondorian's words, I relaxed, but only just.

"Boromir, I'm frightened," I whispered, and rolled over to face him. He was lying atop his own bedroll, and had his head perched in his other hand. "I do not know what terrifies me more- the unknown dangers that lie away, or the look I saw in Aragorn's eyes," I explained with ghosting words. My hand reached out and began to fiddle with the grass between us. I felt Boromir's eyes on me, but I could not find the strength within me to meet them.

"I cannot promise you that everything will be well, nor that you will travel unharmed. But I know this- in this fellowship, we take great care to protect one another," he murmured. Although from the tone in which he spoke, it sounded more like that he would be the one that would be the one to protect me. "Not that you need any protection- you could eliminate a hundred of the Enemy with a wave of your hand," he added faintly.

But I found no consolation in his words, I trembled visibly at the idea of encountering hundreds- if not thousands- of those demon-faced Orcs. "I cannot do this," I whispered, my voice frantic with fear, "I'm not a warrior-"

"-Yes, you can, Terumi. You are a warrior fit to serve the guard of the White City," Boromir argued gently, and as he did, he reached out to envelope my trembling hand with his, "The Enemy will have already defeated you if you allow such dark thoughts to trouble your peace of mind." My eyes met his, and I found myself silently comforted by the molten grey of Boromir's gaze. He kept his hand intertwined with my clammy one; my eyelids grew heavy, and I fell asleep under Boromir's watchful eye.

The following morning, the Fellowship were lined along the shore of the river. "Never before have we clothed outsiders in the garb of our realm; may these cloaks shield you from unfriendly eyes," Lord Celeborn spoke with conviction. Lady Galadriel then began to hand out her gifts to the members of my company; when she reached me, a smile lit up her already ethereal face. "Lady Terumi, I have no gift for you, only I pray you heed my words," she explained cryptically. '_You will find your courage, when the time calls for it, believe in yourself..._' her voice finished in my mind. I bowed my head, and crossed an arm over my chest. Her lips kissed my brow, and she bestowed another smile to me.

We traveled along the river for days, on the eighth night since leaving Lothlórien- the blood chilling twang of bowstring split the night air. Arrows shrilled overhead, some fell short and landed among the bottoms of the boats. Frodo cried out as he fell forward when he was knocked by an arrow between his shoulders. We were defenseless, it was too dark for us- even Legolas, but not dark enough for the nocturnal eyes of the Orcs. Frodo rose from the floor of his boat, fortunately unharmed thanks to his hidden míthríl. "This is madness- we cannot pass the Rapids of Sarn Gebir!" Boromir shouted.

"Yes, we can!" I yelled, and rose from my seat, I swiftly began to propel all the boats forward; I dimly could make out the shapes of jutting rocks, and raised the water level around us- and carried the boats over the rocks. An arrow shot out from the shadows, and its barbed head drew a burning, scarlet line across the right side of my face. I hissed sharply and almost released my control over the river. With a flurry of fluid movements, I kept the boats moving, and brought up a wall of water behind us to buffer any more arrows. I thrust the water to take us under the safety of the overhanging bushes along the western shore. Once under the shadows, I breathed deeply, and fell back into my seat; absentmindedly, I brushed away a trickling trail of blood that ran down my face, but did not heal it. I was drained from forcing the willful river to heed my command, and all I wanted to do was fall asleep as soon as we were back on land.

Legolas sprang ashore, his bow from Lothlórien in hand and an arrow knocked, and looked to the sky. A shadow emerged from the eternal darkness of the South, and hurtled towards us. The great bow of Lothlórien sang, and an arrow shot out to meet the formidable, great winged creature. An ear-piercing scream was let loose, and as it vanished- the sky was clear once more. After a time, Aragorn led us back upstream; until we came upon a small bay, well guarded by a few low-hanging trees and a rocky bank. No fire was lit, and we all huddled in the boats- ready to flee if there was need. My head fell against my hand, and I tumbled into an exhausted slumber.

I awoke to Sam and Frodo conversing about the phase of the moon; after listening, I discovered that last night was the beginning of a New Moon- so that is why my strength was drained so easily...the source of my power was renewing. I sat up from my curled position along the floor of the boat, and lurched to my feet when Boromir let out a wordless cry.

"Terumi, you're hurt!" Pippin exclaimed as he came up to my with concern evident in his eyes.

"It's nothing-" I began.

"-Your face is covered in blood- take a look for yourself," Boromir hissed, and none-too-gently dragged me to the river's edge, "Look," he ground out from behind clenched teeth.

I knelt along the river, and calmed the disturbed, rippling water. What Boromir had said was true, the entire right side of my face was covered with dried or drying blood, and my wound still scintillated with blood. I washed away the blood, and healed my wound as best as I could within the confines of my fatigue. I was breathing heavily when I had finished the task, and that drew the attention of my company. "Are you all right, Lady Terumi?" Sam, dear Sam, asked.

"I am fine, Sam-" I cut myself off when a powerful yawn fell past my lips, "I am just tired."

"Rest, lass," Gimli urged, and pulled a light blanket from his pack, "You have earned it." He came up to me, and wrapped the blanket about my shoulders as best he could.

"Agreed," Aragorn added, and motioned for me to return to my sleeping place within the boat.

I slowly trudged over to the boat, and nestled under Gimli's blanket; despite the feeling of guilt about not being able to pull my share of the day's load, but my fatigue easily overruled that feeling. A shadow fell over me, I cracked open an eye, and saw Frodo standing over me. "Terumi, thank you, what you did last night was no easy feat, and I want you to know how grateful I am for it," he said softly.

"I would do it again...without hesitation," I mumbled, and gave him a warm, albeit tired smile.


	11. Chapter 11

During my slumber, I dimly recall feeling the boat once again travelling along the river, and the rock from the current lulled me into a deeper sleep. A calloused hand caressed my face with ghosting fingers, and then brushed away the tendril of hair that had fallen into my face. Muffled conversations floated over me, and visions of a strange, lidless and wreathed in flame, eye flashed about my mind. '_You cannot hide...I see you,_' a lifeless voice echoed with disturbing omnipotence, '_You will fail._'

The darkness that had taken its hold on me vanished, and I awoke, dripping in viscid, cold sweat. My eyes looked about frantically, and they stopped when they fell upon Boromir's figure standing amidst the shadows. I rose silently to my feet, and went to stand at his side. "Boromir, are you all right?" I asked gently.

"Dark have been my dreams of late," he mumbled, still gazing out at the formidable, fiery horizon.

"Would it help to speak to a friend?"

"You are a woman, you cannot understand the world of war," he snapped.

"Cannot understand the world of war?" I mused, keeping my tone neutral. Boromir did not need an argument, no, he needed comfort, "Boromir, my entire world has been plagued by a hundred year war; how can I not know anything but the world of war?" I was not angry at Boromir, in fact, I felt sorry for him. I looked up to the moon while he thought upon my words; I reveled in the feel of the moon's silver, albeit weak, shafts of light on my face. My hair slowly uncoiled and fell down my back in tangled waves.

Boromir turned to me, and I saw him dawn with understanding. He rubbed his face with vigorous fatigue, and sighed in frustration, "My apologies, Terumi, I should have spoken to you in such a manner."

"Are you saying that because you think me an emotional woman?" I asked faintly.

"No, well...partially- for the most part I am saying that because you are my friend," he answered. He smiled at me after he spoke, he truly smiled. I returned his smile, and had to fight to keep my eyes open. "Go back to sleep, I can take over your watch so that you may rest well," he urged with surprising tenderness.

I took a seat on the ground and angled my face upwards to feel the beloved moon. "I cannot return to Sleep's embrace so easily; therefore, I shall remain here." I murmured, and looked out the river of liquid glass, and a strangely moving log caught my attention. My eyes narrowed, and my lips opened to alert the Fellowship of the spy that appeared to following us, but Boromir interjected,

"Gollum again," he explained as he too watched the log make its unknown journey along the river, "Aragorn hoped to have lost him, but his hope was in vain; Gollum is too clever a waterman."

"Is that why we were attacked?"

"Perhaps, nothing is certain in times such as this," Boromir mused, and I felt his eyes upon me. When I raised my head, I found that he was staring at the faint scar that ran along the right side of my face. "You were fortunate that night," he observed faintly.

"Yue was watching over me, even though she wanes," I replied, and smiled up at the moon. I closed my eyes and heard Boromir sit beside me. My heart fluttered and my stomach was consumed in bumbleflies, and I found my thoughts a jumbled mess.

"Yue?" Boromir inquired softly.

"She was the princess of the Northern Water Tribe, of my tribe. She gave up her life to save her people- the world, really- and became the Moon Spirit," I answered my voice thick with emotion. As children, Princess Yue and I were very good friend, and though we did not know each other now due to our very separate duties.

"All women of your tribe have hearts befitting the noblest of warriors."

"No, not all," I corrected faintly.

"Just the ones that break tradition," he added.

"Just the ones the break tradition," I repeated and smiled warmly at him, and then closed my eyes once more. I felt hesitant fingers twirl the ends of my hair, and I smiled. Despite my foreign unease at his proximity, I felt protected.

The dawn approached, and tension was thick in the new morning air. Boromir and I wordlessly returned to the boats; Gimli looked me over, and mumbled incoherently into his beard.

"Terumi!" Merry exclaimed, obviously happy to see upon my own two feet without swaying perilously. He and Pippin scrambled over to me, and pulled me down to my knees to embrace them.

"How are you feeling? Better?" Pippin asked.

"Very much so, and I thank you for letting me rest," I replied, speaking to all of the Fellowship.

"We must not tarry any longer, to the boats!" Aragorn barked out his order as he shouldered his ragged pack. I turned to get my satchel, a hand clasped my shoulder, I turned my head and saw that it was Aragorn. He smiled at me, and drew me into a brief embrace, murmuring, "It does my heart well to see you on your own two feet without exhaustion in your eye."

"Thank you, Aragorn," I mumbled, and watched him push his boat into the river with Frodo and sam already inside.

Merry and Pippin had clambered into Boromir's boat, and my heart sank at the little room left over. "Steady on, we have to make room for Terumi!" Pippin exclaimed, and then scrambled about to move around the supplies.

"Allow me," Legolas spoke softly, and swiftly transferred some of the cargo to the boat he and Gimli shared. I gave him a grateful smile and slid into Boromir's boat. Merry and Pippin flanked me, and behind me I heard Boromir chuckle softly. I shot him a half-hearted glare over my shoulder, but that only seemed to amuse him more. We set off, and traveled along the river once more.

Hours passed by, and Aragorn announced that we were about to pass the Argonath, the Pillars of the Kings. The two massive pillars were carved in the likeness of Isildur and Anárion. "Long have I wished to look upon the kings of old...my kin," Aragorn spoke softly as we paddled by.

"I have returned home to Gondor," Boromir murmured. Aragorn led us all down the river to Parth Galen, which was at the beginning of the Falls of Rauros.

"Aragorn," Legolas called out swiftly when we had set camp. Whilst Aragorn and Legolas were in their hushed conversation, Frodo slipped off into the woods. Boromir watched him leave, and I saw a strange gleam take hold in his eyes; he slowly followed Frodo, and then he too vanished from sight.

An overwhelming sense of worry gnawed at my heart, and I debated on whether or not to pursue them. '_In order to prevail, you must believe in yourself, young waterbender..._' Galadriel's voice echoed through the corners of my mind, and I jerked in surprise. No one seemed to take notice of my sudden action, everyone was too occupied with their own reveries. Silently, I dropped my satchel to the ground and began to walk into the woods after Boromir and Frodo. As I did so, a strange sight caught my eye; Boromir's shield was left behind, and that made me all the more uneasy...Boromir was never without his shield. I grabbed the shield and hefted it over my shoulder; I stumbled through the woods, and eventually found Frodo and Boromir- but what I saw and heard caused Boromir's shield to fall from my suddenly limp fingers.

"...It might have been mine. It should be mine. Give it to me!" Boromir bellowed as he lunged for Frodo. Frodo scrambled backwards, but Boromir advanced with an evil grace; his fair and handsome face was mutilated by a dark, raging fire in his eyes.

I lurched out of the brush and tacked Boromir to the ground; at first, I had the upperhand, but that soon changed. Boromir flipped me onto my back, and bore down on me. "Frodo- run!" I shouted, and watched the Halfling slip the Ring onto his finger. A fist collided into the side of my face, and my vision threatened to go dark.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: This chapter is dedicated to Abyss Prime, who has been a faithful follower and review of this tale- thank you, whomever you are…you keep me going. –Kiley S. Snape**

"You want the Ring for yourself- all this time you have been waiting to steal it!" Boromir hissed venomously, "You filthy whore! You serve the Enemy!" His hands came about my throat, and my breath was slowly being squeezed out of me. My hands flew up and tried to pry Boromir's away, but it was futile...he was too strong.

"Boro-ir," I rasped, "P-Please!" My lungs burned in agony, and my vision was hazy and littered with black spots. My attempts to fight back grew fainter and further apart; I gazed blearily up into his eyes, and saw the darkness possessed him still. Just when I was about to accept my death, I heard yet another voice enter my mind. It sounded remarkably, uncannily like Gandalf- and I wanted to believe it was him, '_**Fight! **_' With violently trembling hands, I summoned a pillar of water and shoved him away.

Boromir's hands were wrenched away from my throat, and I inhaled sharply, only to end up vomiting my ration of _lembas_. I fell to the ground and breathed in deep, rasping breaths of the addicting air. "What have I saw? What have I done? Frodo, Frodo! Come back- I'm sorry!" Boromir called out. He ran a visibly quivering hand over his eyes, brushing away the tears. He lurched around to look at me as I dry-heaved. "Terumi, what have I done to you?!" he gasped, and fell to his knees at my side. He reached out to touch me, but he withdrew his hand when I jerked away from him and my fearful eyes met his confused ones.

"You were not-" I coughed hoarsely, "Yourself." I finished. With tender fingers, I massaged my searing throat. Despite knowing that Boromir had returned to his normal self, I was afraid. I hated the feeling of fear to a friend such as he, but with such startling proof of the Ring's hold over him, how could I not? From behind the safety my hair provided, I watched him come closer.

"Terumi, please," he beseeched, "Do not shirk from me. Surely you trust me?"

"Yes," I croaked and staggered to my feet.

Just as Boromir was about to speak, numerous savage cries split the eerily silent air. We glanced at one another before we catapulted into a sprint toward the source of the cries...Boromir's fallen shield left forgotten. The demon-faced creatures looked akin to Orcs, only stood eye to eye with Boromir and did not seem to take notice of the sun. Amidst the incoherent grunts and growls, only three words could be heard, "Find the Halflings!" My heart clenched at the thought of my dear companions being captured by those monsters...or worse. Boromir ran ahead of me, whilst I launched myself into the fray to fight beside Legolas and Gimli. In rapid succession, I sent ice darts screaming though the air and into the beasts' armor. One came too close, and its crude blade gouged my arm; with a wounded cry, my injured arm fell uselessly to my side. My current foe swiftly succumbed to the keen bite of my freshly summoned water whip and fell down dead.

Out of the corner of my peripheral vision, I saw that Aragorn had joined the fight. I also took note that I had not seen any of the Hobbits, which could have been a blessing or terrible news. Sweat ran down from my brow, and blurred my vision; with a hasty swipe of my uninjured arm, I cleared my vision and continued to fight off more of the strange Orcs. A horn's cry rang and echoed through the forest, and immediately I knew whom the horn belonged to. "Boromir!" Aragorn and I gasped, and I let my pure terror fuel my speed. A thin branch whipped across the side of my face, but I ran on- completely undeterred. A sword came swinging across to catch me in the throat and take off my head, but my adrenaline fueled my reaction more swift than the oncoming attack. I dropped to one knee with my other leg extended out in front of me, and slid atop the loose dirt and leaves. I launched off the ground and continued onward. I burst into a clearing where there were many strange statues of robed skeletons. I found Boromir easily; a throng of corpses littered the forest floor around him. But what I saw next left me gasping for breath, and struggling to remain standing. Boromir's body was pierced by four arrows that were lodged deep within his chest. He was holding on, but only for the hope of being able to save Merry and Pippin. A line of blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. Another arrow screamed its demented cry of anticipation, and burrowed its barbed head over Boromir's heart.

A beast, the largest- even taller and broader than Boromir, strode towards the fallen warrior while the others carried the screaming Merry and Pippin away. A massive bow was in its hand, and its face held such warped pleasure...such immense satisfaction. When it was an arm's distance from Boromir, it knocked another arrow and aimed. An unfathomable rage consumed me, and I let out an animalistic, bone-shattering scream of anger and my hands shot out. The formidable Orc tensed unnaturally, its veins bulged underneath its skin, and the beast seemed to have no control of its body. With forceful, rage-driven movements, I somehow controlled the Orc. I worked it like some dark puppet master, and brought the demon to its knees. I walked up to it; meanwhile, I heard Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli arrive. I forced the Orc's head up, so it could look me in the eye and know who killed it; I held my hands over each side of its head- only a finger's distance away from actually touching the foul flesh. I twisted my hands harshly about the monster's head; the familiar, all-knowing crack of broken bone rang in my ears, the Orc's head snapped into an unnatural angle, and it crumpled to the ground...dead.

My rage dissipated...like smoke in the wind, and all that remained was the revulsion and overwhelming self loathing. I stared down at my violently trembling hands with disgust and fear at the terrible power they had just performed. "Terumi," I was torn from my reverie by Aragorn calling to me, "Terumi- quickly! Heal him!"

I staggered over to Boromir's fallen figure, and who was gasping for breath, I fell to my knees beside him, and summoned water from my gourd; the water began to glow with my healing magic, and I turned my attention to Aragorn and Legolas. "You have to pull the arrows out," I explained grimly. Aragorn swiftly held Boromir down, and Legolas pulled the arrows out with swift execution; Boromir was too weak to struggle much, all he did was let out a piteous moan of agony. Blood ran from his wounds, I placed my hands on the center of his chest and made the water spread over all the wounds. The water instantly turned red, and the magic was spent. When I drew away, Boromir's wounds were exactly as they were. "I- I don't understand," I stammered hysterically, "Why- Why d-didn't it work?!"

"It is...penance," Boromir gasped, "...better this way."


	13. Chapter 13

"Don't talk like that!" I argued, and forced him to look me in the eye. "You are a good and honourable man, Boromir- one whom is worth saving," I added in a much softer tone. I reached up and broke the leather band holding the phial containing the water of the Spirit Oasis; I uncorked the stopper and poured the entire amount of water into my palm. Again, I commanded the water to spread over his pierced and bleeding chest, and then it glowed with a light so bright- it appeared to be white instead of the typical blue. My hands hummed and burned with magic, and I unknowingly began to pray, "Princess Yue, I know not if you can hear my prayer in this dark realm, but please- what power the Spirits have given me...let me save him. Help me muster the power to heal his afflictions." A feeling of comforting warmth burned in my chest, and life was breathed back into Boromir.

Boromir's chest shook as he breathed deep, gulping swallows of air, and I could feel his heartbeat drumming beneath my fingers. He gave me a fatigued smile and murmured, "Terumi...thank you." His eyes fluttered shut, and he fell into an exhausted slumber.

"They took the little ones," I said thickly as I sat back with an audible sigh. I stared at my hands with shame once more, and numbly acknowledged Aragorn sitting down beside me. "Get away from me...I am a monster," I whispered.

"You are not a monster," Aragorn spoke gently, "You saved Bor-"

"-Look at what I did to that creature! I stole its will and forced its muscles to contract and move! I could feel that thing's heartbeat in my hands- I could hear its frantic thoughts in my head! So what if it saved Boromir's life- I made it kill itself merely because I commanded so! What if I cannot control it when it happens again, and I kill one of you?"

"This power does not define you, Terumi, you are strong...you can, and will, control this newly found power. You are pure of heart, and this does not define you...just as my forefathers do not define me, little one," Aragorn replied, and drew me into an embrace. He held me closer when the tears began to soak his tunic, and my fingers dug desperately into the cloth.

"I wish Gandalf were here, he could help me...I have never felt more alone," I mumbled into Aragorn's shoulder, "I cannot do this..."

"Mithrandir would not wish you to have some dark thoughts, little one, if anything- he would want you to keep fighting."

"Aragorn what are we to do now?" Gimli asked, "Now that Merry and Pippin are captured, and Frodo and Sam are gone?"

Aragorn looked at Boromir then to me, and then back again. I could see his desire to rescue Merry and Pippin, along with the hesitation of splitting the Fellowship further apart. I reached out a hand and took one of his. "Go," I urged him softly, "I can take of Boromir, and then we can meet up with you." I squeezed his hand encouraging, and my eyes met his. "This is where our paths diverge for a time Aragorn, you know this," I murmured.

"All right, meet us at Edoras- should we not meet again before you reach the Gap of Rohan," Aragorn finally answered. He rose to his feet, and looked to Legolas and Gimli. "Let's hunt some Orc."

"Yes!" Gimli agreed heartily.

I watched my three friends leave, and then looked down at Boromir. His eyes danced under his closed lids; I reached out and wiped away the gore that had splattered his face. "Ter...i," he mumbled, nearly incoherent. I smiled, and lay down beside him; my gnawing fatigue overruled my caution, and so I fell asleep.

"Terumi?" a familiar baritone voice rasped.

My eyes fluttered open and they met Boromir's fatigued, grey ones. I sat up swiftly and touched his brow with the back of my hand. "How are you feeling?" I asked earnestly, glad that I felt no trace of fever. Without thought of consequence, I slid my hand down until it was over Boromir's beating heart; the tension in my face eased as I felt the steady pulse of life thrum against my hand.

"What are you doing?" Boromir asked hesitantly, watching me warily.

"Feeling your heartbeat," I thought aloud. When I realised that I had actually spoken my thoughts, I blushed faintly, and turned away.

"Where are the others?"

"In pursuit of the Orcs that captured Pippin and Merry," I replied mutely, my heart clenching at the image of Merry and Pippin being carried off, it replayed over and over in my mind. I wrapped my arms about me, and I strained to listen to the distant roar of the Falls of Rauros in an attempt to sate my frazzled nerves and emotions.

"We should depart from this wretched place," Boromir murmured darkly.

"Aragorn told me that we were to meet at Edoras," I explained.

"That is a far distance from here," Boromir mused, more to himself than to me. He ran a hand through his haggard-looking hair; suddenly, he spun on his heel and looked at me with disconcerting intensity.

"Boromir?" I inquired apprehensively, still somewhat wary of him due to recent events when he had looked at me so strangely. When he came towards me, I could not stop myself from taking a step back. My breath caught in my throat when Boromir fell to his knees at my feet. "Boromir?" I repeated, only this time my voice was laced with only untainted concern.

"I don't think I could bear the sight of you looking at me with such wariness, Terumi," he mumbled. He blindly took my hands in supplication, and I felt his hands tremble.

I knelt down beside him and brushed the hair that had fallen in his face away. "Boromir, my friend," I paused to clear my throat, then continued, "I will try not to ever look at you like that, but I won't lie to you...you terrified me when you were under the control of the Ring. However, you are still a great friend and protector, and there isn't anyone whom I would rather be traveling through this treacherous wilderness with."


	14. Chapter 14

"Stay close to me," Boromir murmured as he guided me into the loud village pub. Wordlessly, I clung to him as he weaved our way through the crowd. He found is an empty table, and threw our packs onto it; he sat down with an audible exhalation.

After I had taken my seat, I watched the couples dance to a lively tune; I smiled at the irony of their situation, here they were- world at war, yet they danced as if it were any other day. I leaned forward in my seat with unconscious intrigue at the strange, albeit heart-lifting, dance. I watched the women laugh and smile while the men turned them about. I let out a gasp when Boromir suddenly appeared in front of me; I look up at him with my eyes probably filled with conspicuous surprise.

"Dance with me."

"B-But I don't kn-know how to dance like that," I stammered in reply, and gesticulated frantically at the dancing couples.

Boromir remained unfazed by my poor excuse, and so he pulled me to my feet. "Surely the brave little Water Tribe warrior isn't afraid of dancing?" he teased, while easing me out onto the crowded floor. After stepping on Boromir's feet and colliding into other dancers, I eventually managed to learn a dance; I could not help but smile and laugh as Boromir seemed to twirl be about endlessly. Thankfully, the brisk tuned song ended; however, it was replaced with a slow paced ballad.

"My hair must be a mess," I mused wryly, already certain that my hair tumbled down my back in tumultuous waves, utterly free of its usual, confining braids. I turned to go take a seat, but Boromir's hand about my wrist stopped me.

"Last dance, I promise," he explained.

He swayed me gently and led me through the couples with ease; I blushed at our close proximity as his utterly masculine scent softly washed over me. "You know, if you didn't possess the build of an earthbender, I would say you were an airbender- you are so soft and agile on your feet," I mused softly. He said nothing in response, only continued to sway me and hold me in his arms.

Halfway into the song, he drew away and said gruffly, "I am going to see if I can barter for a room, it will be the last chance for an actual bed until Edoras," he explained hastily, and pulled me back over to our table. "Stay here," he added, and went to find the innkeeper.

I ran my fingers through my hair in an attempt to untangle it, but to no avail. I had lost sight of Boromir in the crowds that surrounded the bar that he had headed towards, and his lack of visibility made me uneasy. The overpowering stench of hard liquor assaulted my senses, and a bulky figure entered my line of vision. I tried to be less conspicuous of my distaste, but I doubted the drunkard even noticed- let alone cared.

"Where ye from?" the man asked in an attempt to be suave.

"Far away," I replied curtly, and flicked my hair in annoyance. Suddenly, the man was clumsily running his own hand through my hair. I jerked back and slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me!" I hissed and glared at him and tried to appear braver than I was.

"There's no reason to be cold, luv," the man slurred and leaned forward to "caress" my face.

"Step away from her," Boromir growled venomously, and I felt him place a possessive hand on my shoulder. He pulled me to my feet and drew me close to his chest. Unconsciously, my hands came up to his chest and clenched his tattered short; in response, Boromir drew me even closer.

"Sorry, mate- did nae know that she tak'n," the drunkard shrugged his shoulders and wondered off.

"Terumi, are you all right?" Boromir asked as my eyes suddenly grew wet with tears.

"I am just so tired, Boromir," I whispered, and buried my face into his chest. He lifted me into his arms and carried me to the room he had managed to procure.

"Terumi, tell me what is ailing you."

I buried my face in my hands and stammered between shuddering sobs, "I am so scared for P-Pippin and and Merry! Th-They must be t-t-t-terrified! What if...What if the others do not find them in time- what if we lose them too?"

"What do you mean too?" he asked softly.

"J-Just like we lost Gandalf! I can't...I can't go through that again!" I sobbed in a keening cry.

Calloused hands gently pulled mine away from my face and I saw that Boromir was kneeling before me, so that our eyes were level. "I never want to hear you speak of such things, or anything akin to them, again- do you understand, Terumi?"

I leaned forward until my forehead rested against the backs of his hands. "I understand," I whispered faintly.

"You take the bed and rest," Boromir urged and nudged me in the direction of said bed; which looked extremely uncomfortable and small. I stumbled over to it, and all but fell asleep as I fell through the air.

_I let out an animalistic, bone-shattering scream of rage, and my hands shot out. The Orc tensed unnaturally, and seemed to have no control of its body. with forceful, rage- fueled movements, I somehow controlled the Orc. I worked it like some dark puppet master, and brought the demon to its knees. I walked up to it...I forced the Orc's head up so it could look me in the eye and know who killed it; I held my hands over each side of its head- only a finger's width away- and twisted my hands about. The familiar, all- knowing crack of broken bone rang in my ears-_

I awoke gasping for breath and my heart threatening to burst from the confines of my chest. Cold sweat trickled down my spine, and my hands were dripping with blood. Before me eyes, flashed of Boromir, Aragorn, Legolas, the Hobbits, and Gimli- all lifeless bodies- before me, and I screamed. A sharp pain erupted in my mind and an ageless, evil voice spoke in a roaring whisper, '_I know you are weak just like everyone else! I will destroy you after my legions kills all of your oh so precious friends- starting with Boromir of Gondor- before your very eyes._' I screamed again, and clawed at the sides of my head.

"Stop! Sto-STOP!"

"Terumi!"

My eyes cleared from the smoke that fogged them, and I jerked to look at the edge of the bed where Boromir was leaning towards me; his grey eyes brimming with worry. I also noticed that he held his dagger in hand- probably thinking I was under attack. I threw myself at him and clung to him desperately. "A v-voice was talking to m-me in my head," I sobbed and hid my face in his chest, "I think it was the E-Eye...he said he was going to kill you!"

The dagger clattered to the floor, and Boromir's hand soothingly combed through my tangled hair, and he shushed my hysterics. "Terumi, don't concede to his words. He had over me once, but I will not allow him to corrupt another such as you," he murmured into my hair, "Be stronger than I, Terumi." He continued to stroke my hair until I fell asleep once more.

I awoke the following morning to the sight of a sleeping Boromir at my bedside; he had one of my hands held protectively in his, and I suddenly realised that he wasn't wearing a shirt or tunic. His well- muscled back was littered with pale, raised scars- a testament of the many battled he had fought. With my free hand, I slowly brushed back the hair that had fallen in his face, and smiled faintly when his lips twitched upwards briefly. "Boromir," I spoke warmly, "It is time for us to depart."

He jerked slightly and as he stretched, I saw his chiseled chest and abdomen, which caused me to blush violently and turn my head away. I heard him scramble to don on a shirt when he realised that he wasn't fully clothed. "I will see if I can find us some food for our journey- we have three days at the very least until Edoras," he explained, and soon, we set off once more into the Wild.

"There it is, Edoras," Boromir spoke as he pointed to the fortress-like town, which reminded me of Omashu with its fortified walls, in the fading light, "Edoras, home of Theoden King and his horse lords."

I half- heartedly rubbed at my tired eyes, silently praying that Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were awaiting us there with Pippin and Merry. We walked up to the front gates with great haste, and a sentry called out, "Who wishes to gain entrance?"

"Captain Boromir of Gondor and Lady Terumi," Boromir replied; immediately upon his words, the gates swung open. Boromir took my gently by the arm, and guided me through the streets. "I believe Aragorn may be here," he murmured. Two guards met us at the base of a grand staircase that led to a large house, and Boromir saluted them.

"Terumi!" I heard a familiar voice shout my name.

I looked up the to the doorway of the great hall, and saw Aragorn swiftly approaching. I raced towards him, and launched myself into the arms of one of few I called kin. "Aragorn!" I exclaimed, laughing in delight when he lifted me off the ground and twirled us around. A figure over his shoulder, clothed entirely in white, caught my attention; upon closer inspection, I let out a gasp, and went limp in Aragorn's arms. "Gandalf?" I asked, my voice thick with innocent hope; my eyes pooled with heavy tears. I vaguely felt Aragorn place me back on my feet, and I walked hesitantly up to the white wizard- afraid that he would vanish if I approached too swiftly. "Is it really you?" I asked, too afraid to blink- let alone breathe- lest he would vanish if I did.

"Aye, little one, it is me. And I have never been more glad to see anyone in my life," Gandalf replied with a warm smile. He came up to me and wrapped his arms around me; as he did, the miniscule control I had on my emotions shattered, and I clung to him and sobbed violently. "There there, Terumi, why waste such tears on a foolish, old man?"

"You fell...I had you, and you...you let yourself fall," I sobbed.

"But that was not the end for me, little one; I wish I had the foreknowledge to inform you. I was called back, and have a task to fulfill. Now, let's get you some food and a warm bed- you look exhausted. I imagine you have quite a tale or two to tell me at a later time."

I glanced over my shoulder at Boromir while Gandalf led me away, and saw him looking at me with a strange look. Our eyes met, and we exchanged small smiles before he vanished from my sight.

"Must you go?" I beseeched, watching as Gandalf went to mount Shadowfax.

"Terumi, I must- Eomer must be brought back to aid Theoden should the need arise. Look to my coming, at first light on the fifth day, at dawn- look to the east." With that, he left Aragorn and me alone in the stables.


	15. Chapter 15

Days later, I found myself amongst the evacuees of Edoras on our way to Helm's Deep. "What strange garb you wear, Lady Terumi," Eowyn, a woman I now knew as a friend, mused.

"It is the cloth of my home," I replied, nostalgia slightly taking hold of me. I desperately longed for the roaring call of the ocean, the towering icebergs, and most of all- I wished to know of the war against the Fire Nation. I looked over the crowd to see Boromir riding beside Théoden, and wished I could speak with him; in all the chaos of the evacuation, I had not been able to do more than look briefly upon him.

Vicious growls ripped through the gray air, and I looked to Aragorn, who came sprinting back from whence he came. "Wargs! We are under attack!" Aragorn shouted, and the soldiers of Rohan spurred into action.

"Terumi!" I spun around at the sound of Boromir shouting my name. He rode up to me and said grimly, "I want you to go with Eowyn and the people-"

"-I can fight!" I argued, "My friends will be out there, what would I be if I were to leave you all now?!"

"Alive. Please, Terumi, I do not possess the time to dispute with you," Boromir barked, and turned his horse about. "Go- NOW!" he bellowed over his shoulder, and then charged into the fray.

I glared at his retreating figure, and did what I do best; ignore my own safety and ignore orders. I ran towards the battle, and upon arriving- heard the roar of water. I summoned a thick, continuous jet of water to flow up the cliff and to carry me about the fray. I flung an arm out and then clenched my fist, which caused the soaring water to freeze and impale the nearby Orc and its demonic mount. I ceased my movement and began going through complex motions. Water came up from the river below and engulfed the Orcs surrounding me, and then I made the water freeze and then implode- piercing the demons with lethal shards. Just as I turned about, a Warg crashed into me- sending my head crashing against a boulder. During my last moments of consciousness, I dimly made out what appeared to be a man caught on the side of a Warg; I fell into darkness just as the Warg and the shadow of a man fell off the cliff.

"Terumi," I dimly heard, and my eyelids fluttered.

"Lass."

With a groan, I regained consciousness, and slowly sat up. My pulse pounded in my head, my hair viscid with my thick blood, and I looked up to see Gimli, Legolas, and Boromir standing before me. I rose unsteadily to my feet, and looked around for Aragorn. "Where is...Aragorn?" I asked, slightly manic.

A wet, raucous laugh turned my attention to an Orc, who lay near the edge of the cliff. "He's...dead!" the monster laughed, blood spurting from a juncture in his neck.

Legolas lunged forward, and violently took hold of the Orc. "You lie," he spat.

"'Fraid not- he took a little tumble off the cliff," the Orc rasped, and asphyxiated on the blood gathering in its wretched lungs. A glow seemed to be coming from its hand; I hesitantly made my unsteady way to the corpse, and unclenched its clawed, deformed hand. There in its grasp was the Evenstar; I jerked my head to look at Legolas and saw that his eyes were wide with disbelief...and realisation. Legolas went to the cliff's lip and peered down into the river for any sign of Aragorn; from the grim line of his lips and the sorrowful expression that marred his princely face, I knew that there was no sign of him. I snatched the Evenstar out of the Orc's grimy hand and raced to the edge of the cliff.

With crazed movements, I summoned a thick pillar water, whose top open wide for me to dive into and would carry me safely down into the river. I stepped back and began to run towards the pillar. Someone tackled me from the side, and I heard Boromir exclaim angrily, "What are you going?"

I fought against him with all my might and screamed, "I have to save him! I CAN SAVE HIM!"

"He's dead, Terumi! There is nothing that can be done-" he began, but I cut him off.

I spun in his arms to face him, and my hand collided into the side of his face. The force of my blow sent his head careening to the side, and the crack of the slap left my palm burning fiercely. "Do not say another word!" I hissed, my hackles rising to an uncontrollable rage. The pillar came around me to snap and hiss venomously, a lethal glint gleamed when the water caught in the light.

'_Young Waterbender, do not strike against those you would otherwise call friend._'

Galadriel's voice within my mind brought me to my senses, and the water rushed back to return to the thunderous river below. I looked at the Evenstar, which was still in my hand, and my vision burned and blurred with tears. I collapsed to my knees and brought the pendant to my lips as I whispered, "Arwen, I pray that you will find comfort in this time of grief." I latched the necklace about my neck, and the Evenstar glowed and rested against my tattered dress. A sob fell past my lips, and I buried my face in my hands, the tears quickly washing away the grime and gore that sullied my flesh. My shoulders trembled violently and I kept chanting under my breath, "He's not dead- he's not dead- he's not dead."

"Get the wounded on horses...leave the dead," Théoden ordered.

"HE'S NOT DEAD!" I shouted, rising angrily to my feet, "We must search for him!"

"Lady Terumi- control yourself! You, a woman, should not even be amongst us!" Théoden barked while mounting his steed.

"Lass, there is no use arguin', come along, let's get to Helm's Deep," Gimli spoke softly, taking me by the elbow gently.

A hand squeezed my shoulder and I turned to see that it was Legolas. "I know he meant a great deal to you," he murmured softly, and did not say anything after that. He turned away swiftly, but not before I saw the overwhelming sadness in his eye.

"Terumi, you blatantly-" Boromir thundered.

"Save your anger for someone who cares, Boromir!" I screeched, "You have **no** authority over me, nor am I even remotely in the need to hear your wretched voice!" I caught up with Gimli and Legolas, and my lips were pursed in a thin line as my tears tumbled down my cheeks.

"So few- so few of you have returned," Eowyn mused as she approached her uncle.

"Many men have fought and gave their lives today," Théoden replied tersely.

Eowyn caught sight of my over the king's shoulder and asked me, "Where is Lord Aragorn?"

I opened my mouth to speak; however, my throat tightened painfully and fresh tears crashed and rolled down my face- only a strangled cry fell past my trembling, pale lips. I shoved past Théoden, blindly making my way up flights of stairs until I reached the outer walls of Helm's Deep. I ignored the odd stares from the soldiers that lined the walls, and clambered onto the edge of said wall- letting my legs dangle over the ledge. Already, I could feel the evil Sauron's puppet, Saruman, had crafted and his legions advance ahead of the Uruk-hai. '_You will fall, just like the Ranger,_' Sauron's voice whispered in my mind, '_And you will lose...everything..._'

I flinched and a shiver ran down the length of my spine. I wished Gandalf was back once more, and that Aragorn had not fallen. I wiped away the tears that clung to my lashes, and stared blankly out at the horizon. Would things have gone differently if I had made sure where the members of my company were, instead of crashing into the fray like some naïve novice? My shoulders trembled violently and my head rested on my knees; were any of us to survive this war? I felt familiar eyes on me, "What Boromir- what is it you wish to scold me about now?" I asked flatly, my voice crisp and cool.

"To see if you were all right-"

A hollow, mocking laugh fell from my cracked lips without a thought. "All right? We are on the brink of battle, in a war where the fate rests upon the shoulders of two young Hobbits, and amidst all this A-A-" my voice cracked, unable to speak Aragorn's name, "-is gone..." I finished lamely. When Boromir did not say anything in reply, I turned and discovered the reason why- he was gone. I returned my attention to the brood, darkness along the horizon, and prayed aloud, "Yue, please- bring him back to me."


	16. Chapter 16

The next night, I was found very much the same- silently crying on the outer wall. "Terumi," I turned at the sound of Legolas' voice, "Aragorn would not wish for you two dwell upon such misery."

"How can I not? I asked, defeated- and wiped away the remaining tears. "Legolas, he was the only family I had here..." He did not say anything after that, only giving his silent presence as a means of comfort. "Do you think Frodo and Sam are safe?"

"I know not, but if there is one thing I have learned from my experiences of Men- is that we can hope," Legolas answered.

I heard Gimli's heavy footsteps approaching, and a gruff, "Lass, you should come inside lest ye freeze out here."

"Very well, Gimli," I sighed in acquiescence, and slid off the wall. "How is Boromir?"

"A right bastard," Gimli growled without the slightest hesitation, and fiddled with his beard.

"What my small friend means is something has been troubling him greatly," Legolas edified in his usual cool manner.

I went to the bedroll beside Eowyn's and slipped under the blanket. I heard Boromir's all too familiar footsteps begin to approach; however, he was stopped by something- or someone more like. "Leave her be, she already has enough trouble sleeping without you adding your own problems with her to it," Gimli scolded. I listened to Boromir stomp away back to wherever he was previously, closed my eyes and feigned sleep- the only thing belittling my façade were the few tears that escaped their confinement.

I awoke before everyone else due to the nightmares, and the dripping cold sweat. I rubbed my burning, exhausted eyes, and left the hall. I made my way to the front of the Keep, and then knelt down. I unbound my hair and let it carelessly fall and tumble down my back; then I did something I had never wished to before- meditate. I closed my eyes and then breathed deeply; I swept each emotional malady away with each exhalation, and I found myself unconsciously praying to Yue that she should spare Merry and Pippin from all this grief. I prayed for Arwen to find comfort if she were to discover Aragorn's demise; I prayed for the many children around me, who were forced to live in an adult world full of hate, grief, and despair. When I emerged from my trance-like state, I realised that hours had gone by; I had been repeating my prayers like a mantra in my mind, and the soldiers of Rohan were continuing their preparations for the impending battle around me.

"Terumi, I have searching all over for you, my uncle bids you to join the men in council," Eowyn explained to me, and took me to them.

"Why me? I am a woman," I blurted out as she pulled me along.

"I know not, I believe Captain Boromir mentioned that you and your people had just survived an invasion not so different than the one we face now- and so my uncle wishes to take counsel with you," Eowyn answered quickly, and then shoved me into the room full of experienced soldiers.

"Thank you for joining us, Lady Terumi, I pray your advice will be most useful," Theoden said as I took my place beside an unknown, high ranking officer. "What are your experiences of war in your distant land?" he inquired.

"What I observed to be most successful was using even the minute strength to our advantage, but taking care that facets of our legions were not left lacking necessity as well," I explained levelly, although slightly intimidated by the powerful men, whom were all gazing at me with fixation. "Also, place an experienced line breaking defense at the ready-" I began.

"-They will crash against the wall like water against stone," Theoden boasted.

As I am prone to be quick to anger, this was another example of such. I eyed a stone pillar, the width of a horse, which was leaning against the wall just behind the king and his lieutenants; summoning from the water from their goblets, I slashed downward in a vicious slice. The pillar split like butter beneath a knife. "Water has unknown strength, Theoden King, and so it would be wise to treat it with wary admiration and respect. Now, as I was saying, have an experienced defense behind the wall- should the Uruk-hai break through the wall somehow," I explained, slightly irked.

Theoden never had the chance to make any form of a remark- the great doors of the main hall were pushed open to reveal a haggard...water-sodden...Aragorn. Silence fell amongst us in an eerie fog, and my eyes immediately turned glassy with tears. "Aragorn?" my incredibly hopeful, albeit disbelieving, whisper carried across the quiet hall with ease and reached Aragorn.

His blue eyes met mine, and he gave me a tired, warm smile and then said, "Little one." I ignored any sense of decorum and ran to him, hurtling myself into his arms. My muffled sobs reached his ears and he murmured, "There there, little one, all is well...for now." He raised his head and addressed the flabbergasted Theoden and the horse lords, "My lords, Saruman's forces shall be here by nightfall."

"How many strong?" Theoden asked, his voice suddenly grave.

"Ten thousand, all bearing the White Hand of Saruman."

"Let them come," Theoden growled, and left the hall. "We have faced many wars akin to the one we face now. Crops can be resewn...homes rebuilt."

"These Uruk-hai were not created to destroy crops and villages!" Aragorn argued, with an arm still about my shoulders as we walked behind Theoden, "The purpose is to destroy the people of Rohan- down to the last child! We must call for aid!"

"And whom should we call upon? Elves?" Theoden mused darkly, "No, Lord Aragorn, we are very much alone. And last I checked, Theoden- not Aragorn, was king."

"Gondor will come," Aragorn countered resolutely, which caused Boromir to nod in silent agreement.

"Gondor?" Theoden scoffed in a whisper, "Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell? Where was Gondor when our enemies were closing in around us? Where was Gondor-" he stopped himself, and amended, "No, Lords Aragorn and Boromir, we are very much alone."

I looked to Aragorn and suggest softly, "Come, Aragorn, I will take you to Legolas and Gimli," I explained while reaching to the back of my neck to undo the clasp of the chain that held the Evenstar. I placed the faintly shining pendant in his trembling hand, and smiled up at him.

"Where is he?! I'm gonna kill him!" Gimli's gruff exclamation tore us from our personal reverie. I laughed as the dwarf approached us with a scowl, which softened at the sight of Aragorn. "You are...the luckiest, canniest, and the most reckless man I ever knew!" he exclaimed, and pulled Aragorn into a crushing embrace. "Bless you, laddie," he added.

I smiled at Gimli, and noticed that Legolas and Boromir had arrived. I met Boromir's eyes, and noticed that he tensed visibly. While Boromir and I gazed at each other, I dimly heard Legolas and Aragorn talking. At the sound of my name from Aragorn, I broke away from the strange connection Boromir and I shared; I walked over to Aragorn and placed a gentle hand on his arm, "I am going to go to get ready, sundown is not far," I murmured, leaving the two Men, the Elf, and the Dwarf to their own devices.

Eowyn came up to me and hissed indignantly, "My uncle is sending me into the caves with the women and children- how is it that he permits you to fight?"

"The king holds no stewardship over me, but mostly- I am not family. Eowyn, you dream of something you have no knowledge of. Since arriving in Middle-Earth, I have seen enough bloodshed to last ten lifetimes."

At that she grew somber, and said nothing more on the matter. She took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze; she wordlessly tugged on my hand, beckoning for me to follow. She took me to the armory, but when I shook my head, she looked at me with apparent confusion.

"I won't be able to fight with that heavy metal on, nor do I require any form of weapon," I explained lamely. I ran a swift hand through my hair, and huffed in slight embarrassment. Eowyn's eyes suddenly glittered, and I asked suspiciously, "What?"

"Captain Boromir is staring at you," she murmured with a smirk, "Is he courting you?"

"No!" I exclaimed loudly, too loudly- and drew the attention of those around us. Blushing under their silent scrutiny, I glared at Eowyn and mumbled with forced smoothness, "Eowyn, no- he is not courting me. Now if you will excuse me, I need to see where I will be posted for the battle."


	17. Chapter 17

Night came swiftly, and with it, the rain. I, unlike all the soldiers around me, relished as the water soaked my clothes- but the joy was fleeting. I looked to Aragorn and Legolas for comfort, but they appeared to be racing towards the gate. Horns cried out and I smiled; I followed my companions to the gate. Before me I saw legions of Elves enter through the now open front gates. In the front of the stoic soldiers was Haldir; Aragorn called out to him and embraced him fiercely.

"Long ago, there was an alliance between Elves and Men, and we come to honour that allegiance," Haldir spoke in his fluid-like voice.

"You are most welcome," Aragorn replied and smiled.

Theoden looked at the soldiers before him with grim features and an unreadable expression. "Very well, Aragorn, get them into position," he said suddenly, and returned to his previous station in the Hornburg.

"Terumi, you are to change stations- go with Boromir instead of me," Aragorn instructed, then motioned for the Elves to follow him to the outer defenses with Legolas and Gimli in tow.

"This way," Boromir mumbled curtly, and motioned jarringly with his hand for me to follow. My shoulders slumped slightly as I walked behind him, and nervously glanced at the formidable outer darkness that hid the forces of Isengard from view. Boromir refused to look at me, his demeanor reminding me of the unapproachable Captain of Gondor that I had first met in Rivendell. He led me to the outer wall, and we stood beside a boy no older than sixteen at the utmost.

"Boromir, I-" I began, but I was cut off by the thunder of thousands of feet and the sight of a vast multitude of torches. But what set my blood with an unshakeable chill were the growls and roars of the Uruk-hai as they spoke to one another in the Black Tongue. I closed my eyes in an attempt to rein in my fear so that I fought with a clear head; a frantic prayer fell from my lips, "Yue, if it is within your power to do so now, my friend, please- oh please watch over us." I opened my eyes and looked up to the sky; up above, the clouds passed by revealing...a full moon. A smile cut across my face as I felt strength pour into me from the moonlight. Something seemed to open within me, and I took the final, deep breath before the plunge.

Just as the Uruk-hai entered firing range of the archers, they came to halt. Despite my newfound courage, I was still afraid. I looked down the line and saw all archers had an arrow knocked, poised to released the first of many volleys to come.

_**Doom. Doom. Doom. Doom.**_I flinched at the steady beat the Uruk-hai drummed with the butt of their spears on the ground. I found myself drawn back to the memory of the drums of Moria...of Gandalf's fall. With a gasp, I returned to the present and realised that both sides were at a stalemate- both seemed hesitant to be the one to make the first strike.

The shrill, solitary cry of a single arrow split the disturbing silence, Aragorn barked out an order in Elvish, and the army of Rohan watched the arrow soar through the night air. The arrow embedded itself through the exposed throat of an Uruk-hai along the front line, who fell to the ground with a groan. Angry bellows echoed across the plain, and a lone Uruk-hai upon a boulder thrust its crude blade forward. The order given, the ten thousand Uruk-hai closed the remaining distance to the outer wall of Helm's Deep.

"And so it begins," I heard Theoden say before the orders to fire were shouted in cacophonous symphony. Volleys of arrows were fired, sending many Uruk-hai to the ground, but their positions were soon replaced. I had never felt more helpless, even my ice darts did little damage; I was forced to wait until the Enemy somehow scaled the wall. Boromir was a stoic, vacant statue beside me, and even though he was less than an arm's distance away- I had never felt so alone.

"Ladders," the front linemen bellowed in warning; preparing the rest of us for impending onslaught. I gathered water from the rain-filled air around me and let the water coat my arms. The ladders were hoisted up and fell against the wall with a clang; I swallowed back the bile that rose in my mouth, and prepared for battle.

The first wave of Uruk-hai appeared, and the soldiers swiftly ended them. I jumped forward and shoved my arms out; a massive wave of water arched over my allies, and then crashed down upon the ascending Uruk-hai.

"Ai! Ai! What sorcery is this?!" an Elf cried out.

"It is no sorcery, my brothers! It is Terumi, She-Warrior of the Northern Water Tribe!" Legolas called out as he fired arrow after arrow.

I sliced my arms out in horizontal arches, causing frozen, razor-sharp edged discs of water to soar out and slice the throats of oncoming Uruk-hai. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a mass of Uruk-hai steadily make their way to the gates of the Hornburg with a battering ram. "Boromir!" I yelled, wildly gesticulating to the legion.

"Archers!" he bellowed, "Fire at will towards the gates of the Hornburg!"

Knowing there was little I could do, I returned to fight off the invading Uruk-hai that managed to scale the entire length of the wall. These Uruk-hai were much more experienced than the first waves, and I cringed at the sight on Rohan's valiant and loyal men being hacked down and left to die listening to their brethren-at-arms' screams. I was torn from my observations by the sight of a formidable Uruk-hai charging at me with its sword held high. I brought my hands up, and in a flurry of frantic movements brought a large tentacle of water before me and held it poised to strike. Just before the monster overcame me, I flung a hand out and the tentacle shot forward. I froze the water moments before it struck, and the shard of ice pierced the Uruk-hai's crude armour and it fell. As I drew the slightly bloody water back to me, a colossal explosion broke my concentration. The water I had summoned disappeared, slithering away from me; I swayed perilously on my feet at the sight of the ruined portion of the wall...where Aragorn had been fighting. "Aragorn," I whispered, deathly pale. "ARAGORN!" I bellowed above the din, and summoned an enormous wave of water to carry me down to where he had fallen amongst the rubble. I came crashing down to where the Uruk-hai were flooding in; I saw Gimli frantically searching the water for Aragorn while trying to fend off Uruk-hai simultaneously. With a final sweep of my arm, I sent the water towards the gap in the wall and then froze it into a wall of lethally spiked ice. The Uruk-hai unable to halt in time impaled themselves on the spikes, and I turned to Gimli and asked, "Gimli, where is he?"


	18. Chapter 18

"Here, here!" he exclaimed, and pulled Aragorn out of the water.

"Aragorn," Theoden roared, gaining all of our attention, "Fall back to the Keep! Get your men out of there!"

"Fall back! Fall back; they have broken through the second level! Retreat, retreat! Fall back to the Keep!"

"Haldir!" Aragorn shouted, then continued his command in Elvish. Haldir nodded and repeated the order to his kinsmen; just as he turned and killed an Uruk-hai, another came from behind and brought its blade into Haldir's spine. Aragorn lurched into a run towards his fallen comrade, roaring out his name, but as Aragorn caught Haldir- the Elf's head fell back limply...revealing vacant, lifeless eyes.

"Aragorn! Come on!" I shouted, pushing my way through the oppositely running crowds that raced to get within the safety of the Keep. Strong hands lifted me off the ground and threw me over their shoulder. "Boromir!" I shrieked in frustrated rage, "Put me down! I have to get to Aragorn!" I began pounding on his back and struggling with all my might.

"Legolas will make sure no harm befalls him- now stop fighting me!" Boromir growled, and barreled his way into the Keep. He stalked into a corner and planted me roughly on my feet.

"What in Valhalla possessed you to believe that you would survive an attack by hundreds of Uruk-hai swarming Helm's Deep?! You are driven by emotion that you fail to realise that you are injured- nor do you realise the fact that your recklessness will get you killed!"

"How dare you!" I hissed, "You have not spoken to me in days, and yet you think you have the right to order me about?!"

"You are the most infuriating being I have ever had the unfortunate turn of fate to have met! Why don't you run along to your precious Ranger and leave me be?"

I glared up at him with angry, albeit latently hurt, eyes. "Fine," I spat flatly, and shoved past him. As I approached Aragorn, my head dropped and my eyes began to burn with tears. I blinked in rapid succession to keep the tears at bay, but Aragorn saw my shimmering eyes.

"Come here, little one," he murmured, subtly opening his arms. Without the slightest hesitation, I enveloped myself in his embrace and muffled my cries.

"There, there, lass. The man does not mean to be a cantankerous arse, I am sure of it- especially when it comes to you," Gimli spoke softly.

"The teachings of his father argue with the teachings he has been taught since leaving Gondor, he knows there is a choice he must decide upon," Legolas said cryptically while looking at Boromir, who was wringing his gloves with nervous hands.

I looked away from the Gondorian and looked over my three companions. "Are you hurt? Do you require healing?" I asked faintly.

"Save yer strength lass, you will need it if we are going to see the end of this battle," Gimli mused darkly, eyes cast to the shuddering and trembling door from the assault is faced from the Uruk-hai.

"My lord," Aragorn called out- addressing Theoden, "What are your orders?"

"It is over," Theoden replied, eyes cast to the floor, "The battle is lost- Helm's Deep is overrun."

"What of the women and children in the caves?" I asked, incredulous that the King was so readily accepting defeat and death.

"Is there any way for them to escape?" Aragorn added.

"There are tunnels that lead into the mountains, but they will not get far- the Uruk-hai are too many," one of Theoden's lieutenants explained.

"We have to do something!" I exclaimed frantically, "We must give them as a chance at least!"

"So much death...what can Men do against such reckless hate?"

"Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them head on," Aragorn spoke, his words instilling courage in those who heard him.

"For death and glory," Theoden replied while rising to his feet.

"For Rohan...for your people."

"The Horn of Helm Hammerhand will sound in the deep- one last time!" Theoden proclaimed resolutely, and went to mount his horse.

"Yes!" Gimli exclaimed, and vanished within the crowds.

I turned to take place amongst the rallying ranks, but a gloved hand took hold of my wrist. It was Boromir, who looked at me with gentle eyes. "Please say you forgive me for the wrongs I have done to you- there are no words true enough to beseech forgiveness properly," he begged me.

I smiled faintly while I reached up and cupped the side of his face, and then murmured, "There is nothing to be forgiven, for I have been cruel to you in turn."

A deep horn reverberated through my bones, and I looked to Theoden. "Forth Eorlingas!" He and his soldiers let out their resonating, deafening battle cries, and I turned to face the quickly-shattering doors. Hands reached out and took my by the shoulders and spun me around.

With wide eyes, I saw Boromir's face only a breath's distance away from mine. One of his hands threaded its fingers in my hair and the other gently held my face. A warm, determined light took hold in Boromir's eyes and he leaned forward. His lips held mine fast in a rushed, tender kiss. Just as he drew back, the gates of the Hornburg burst open and we lost ourselves in the chaos of war.

I raced ahead of the horses on a jet stream of water; with quick flicks of my wrist, I froze the Uruk-hair's feet to the ground and let the soldiers finish them off. I swung an arm up in a sweeping motion and caused a volley of ice darts to rain down upon the Uruk-hai. I lurched to a stop when I saw figures appear on the hill to the east. "Gandalf," I said, too soft for anyone but myself to hear.

"TO THE KING!" a man beside Gandalf bellowed, and the legions rushed down the hillside to our aid.

Out of corner of my eye, I saw a group of Uruk-hai charging towards me. My full attention went to them, and that was where I made the mistake that would change my life forever. I was so focused on ending the more conspicuous threat; I failed to see the solitary, colossal Uruk-hai approaching from behind. Just as I sent a spiked wave of water to end the group, I felt a blade burrow into my side. My breath was knocked out of me, I felt the darkness pulse from the blade and into my flesh, and no scream fell from my lips as I crumbled to the ground. I landed on my side, all around me were the corpses of fallen warriors, ally and foe united in death; my head hit the ground harshly, which made black spots cloud my vision. So this was it, this was my ending...the end of all things. I would never get to see my sweet, brave Hobbits again; I would never see Minas Tirith with Boromir, nor Aragorn crowned king. I heard my blood pulsing in my ears, and my breath grew short as it became more painful to breathe. I struggled to remain awake- I wanted to live. My eyes fluttered shut, and I saw the Great Eye, lidless- wreathed in flame.

_**Burz ghâsh, krimp...**_

AN: The last line is roughly translated in the Black Tongue, and reads, "Dark fire, bind…"


	19. Chapter 19

Suddenly, the Eye was gone and replaced by Yue standing before me with her hand outstretched. "_Come, Terumi_," she murmured in her melodic whisper. I reached up and took her hand with my violently trembling one. "_It is not yet time for you to join me, my dear friend. Arise, and return to those who await you._" She released her hold on my hand and as she did, I felt as though I were falling from some great height. I saw my body lying bruised and broken amongst thousands of others as I approached the ground; I felt something shoving me back into my body. When I entered my body- I shirked away from the pain, but my body made no movement- and I felt so incredibly cold.

An unearthly cry split the strange silence, and someone's arms wrapped around me in a vice. They shook me violently while clutching me to their chest, and angry sobs were ripped from them. The person holding me with such desperation raked their fingers roughly through my tangled, bloodied hair...whispering with frantic urgency. Finally, I could make out part of what the person was saying, "Please...Terumi..." They held me with such fierce tenderness; I was amazed at the raw realism of it all. "Terumi," the person repeated, and it was then I realised that is was Boromir.

"Out of my way, quickly! MOVE!" another voice bellowed, "Boromir, release her so that I can see to her," the new arrival added softly.

Slowly Boromir released me, and I felt someone gently examine my wound- although it still seared at their contact. "A blade crafted in a very powerful...and dark magic," Aragorn, the new arrival, murmured hoarsely. "She is beyond my skill- she needs Mithrandir." Aragorn picked me up and began to carry me, but suddenly staggered forward. I tumbled out of his arms and fell to the ground. "Boromir, what is the meaning of this?!"

"Do not touch her-"

"-SILENCE!" Gandalf's voice bellowed, shaking the very marrow in my bones. I felt aged hands gently touch my wound and brow. "My dear child," he murmured sadly, "So much pain for one so young." He began to chant in an unknown tongue; the darkness that had taken hold of me shifted and seethed angrily, which caused me to seize and spasm erratically. The pressure increased, and the darkness clung to me with a vengeance- the seizures continued, and I felt a wet warmth trickle down my legs. My mouth opened in a voiceless scream, and my eyes snapped open, but I could only see black.

"Stop it, you are killing her!"

"Hold him fast!" Gandalf ordered, ceasing his chant.

'_Terumi, you must fight, for if you concede now- you will be lost forever, and the Captain of Gondor will fall into darkness,_' Galadriel's spoke as she appeared before my eyes surrounded by the woods of Loríen. She was more beautiful than ever before, and she held her hand out for me to take just as Yue had done. '_Do not let that puppet Saruman think you are easily defeated,_' she urged. I took her hand, and she pulled me to my feet. '_You have proved yourself wrong, young waterbender, you possess the heart of a warrior._' She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my brow. '_If you leave him now, he will feel alone forever,_' the Lady of Loríen whispered as she drew back.

The darkness' clutches receded, but it did not leave me unscathed. I could hear my own screams, even within the strange state I was in, as the pain took hold. My body involuntarily bowed and contorted in a desperate attempt to escape the pain; I bit into my lip so fiercely, it split beneath my teeth and the acrid, copper taste of blood filled my mouth. Once more, my eyes snapped open, but this time I saw the ashen, grey skies overhead.

"Rest, little one. We will be with you when awake," Aragorn assured me as he came into view.

"Breathe the free air, dear child," Gandalf murmured, and wiped the frigid sweat from my brow.

I did as they instructed, and fell into a deep sleep.

When I awoke, I awoke to the sounds of the afflicted and dying. Slowly sitting upright on the cot I occupied, I saw Aragorn and Gimli asleep at my side; I smiled at the sight, and then hesitantly rose from the cot. Confidant, for I did not feel anything out of the ordinary, I quietly made my way to the nearest wounded soldier. He was fitfully sleeping and groaned frequently; I lifted the blanket and saw the source of his pain- a jagged, gaping laceration ran along the length of his leg. Absentmindedly waving my hand to summon water, I thought about how to heal him in the least traumatising way. It was not until I lowered my hands to lay them over the wound did I realise an utterly heart-wrenching fact- there was not even a vapor of water on or around my hand. I repeated the movement again, and again- and again, but still...no water came to my silent call. Panic rose within me, causing my throat to constrict and therefore, making it difficult to breathe; an incredulous, sputtering gasp fell from my lips and echoed through the haunting silence. Frantically, I performed every technique that came to my crazed mind, from basic to advanced- yet all yielded the same result, I could not bend.

I felt overwhelmingly light headed, which caused me to crumble to the floor; as I fell, my flailing elbow caught a water basin and it fell to the floor and shattered- awakening everyone conscious enough and lurch upright. I lay on the cold, stone floor in a hysterical heap with the water from the basin soaking my clothes; I felt completely barren. Never before had I ever felt so bereft; the very essence that made me who I was, taken from me like a baby moose-lion from its den. I did not feel the tears rapidly run down the contours of my face until the hand pillowing my head pooled with them.

"Terumi- where is the lass?!" Gimli exclaimed.

I could not muster any form of vocalisation above a pitiful whimper in response. "The maiden is over here!" a young, heavily bandaged soldier called out, "She needs help! Mithrandir!"

I curled into an even smaller form on the hard floor; a flash of white appeared in the consuming bleakness. "Terumi, look at me...look at me!" Gandalf reproached sharply when I ignored him at first. I met his gaze, and the sobs began to seize in my chest; soon, they made their presence known to those around me, and wracked my chest painfully.

"It's gone- it's gone...gone...gone- gone!" I chanted in a frantic whimper, and my throat tightened more.

"What is gone, Terumi?" Gandalf inquired gently, sensing my exceedingly fragile psyche.

"My bending…" My voice, albeit softer than the caress of a rose petal against one's skin, carried the ruin and damnation of one of my world feared above death.


	20. Chapter 20

"Terumi, please come dine with us," Boromir pleaded at my bedside.

I ignored him, which was far too easy with my back to him. I could not remember the last scrap of food he had shoved down my throat, but that did not matter; the gnawing ache of hunger was inexistent when compared to the ever-present agony that ravaged me. It was hard to give a proper description, the best way to do so was that I felt as though a piece of my body had been torn away with careless brutality…yet I felt as though it should still be there. It did not matter to me that we had returned to Edoras and were full of the haze of victory, or that plans were being made to retrieve Merry and Pippin- not when I felt so vacant...so lifeless.

"Speak!" Boromir suddenly bellowed, causing me to involuntarily flinch. "Why will you not speak with me as you once did?" he inquired, much gentler than before, "Why will you not even look at me?"

I bit my lower lip, and closed my eyes- if I did not see him, then he was not there. I refused to acknowledge the tears that slid down my face; they were only a handful amongst thousands of others. I heard others enter the room I had been placed in, and their presence made me all the more tense; I did not want anyone to see me like this- so weak and pathetic... reduced to nothing by a mere poison crafted by a mad man. I was a mighty warrior in their eyes with great power…yet here I was reduced to a woman who could not reign in her grief.

"Terumi," Boromir repeated. I saw the shadow of his hand reach out and then felt it gently run its fingers through my hair; I jerked away from the caress as if burned, and curled into an even smaller bundle on the bed.

"Leave her be," Gandalf urged with soft conviction, "Come with me, there is the matter at hand to be discussed."

They all stepped outside the room, and I could faintly hear their muffled voices. I did not learn of the topic of discussion until Boromir argued heatedly, "No! Something must be done! I will not see her waste away until she has lost all will and falls into darkness!"

"Captain Boromir, I urge you not to allow your young and rash emotions to cloud your sensibility- think rationally of this event. There is nothing to be done, the girl is bereft of her powers and that is what she must accept," Theoden argued curtly.

I slowly rose from the bed and made my way to the slightly opened door, more silent than a wraith.

Boromir was struggling against Aragorn and Legolas' hold, lunging at Theoden. "Do not speak to me of rationality, Theoden King! You know nothing- you cannot even fathom- the pain she is forced to endure!" Boromir spat, all but foaming at the mouth like a rabid animal.

I noiselessly opened the door the rest of the way, and let out a mirthless laugh, "And you do?" My eyes bore into his with azure steel, "You know nothing! Can you tell me that you have felt this pain pressing down on you, knowing that there was a time when you took it so much for granted? Have you felt so idiotic that you wasted your gift on insipid things like trying to fight in a war not even of your own world's?!" I hissed vehemently, "Do you-"

"Terumi," Gandalf interjected gently, forcing my attention to turn to him, "Enough." At his two words, I crumpled into his arms with shuddering sobs wracking my chest. His arms came about me and he shushed me soothingly.

"I can't do this anymore," I whispered hoarsely into his robes.

"Yes, you can...and you will," he corrected me, "Come along, my dear, you need your rest."

The small group that had gathered outside my room had left, but I sensed one of them remained as Gandalf guided me back into bed. I turned my back to whomever it was, and pretended to fall asleep. The person sat on the edge of the bed, and remained silent for a time. "You are wrong, you know. I have felt everything when it came to you; every cut, every scrape, every tear, and all the grief- I have felt with you. I have never been more terrified- I believed myself untouchable- until I saw you fall at Helm's Deep. I have never known of, or experienced, such overwhelming helplessness until I saw you bruised and broken amongst thousands of others. When you lost your bending, I felt the cruelty of war and reality, but know this...I have been with you at your side- and will remain so- as you journey your tumultuous road. And when you cannot walk beside me, I will carry you and all your heavy burdens upon my back...even if I must walk the entirety of this world and your world combined…many times over if I must," Boromir murmured, and gently placed his hand on his head. "I will make right by you, Terumi, I swear," he finished, and slowly left.

A few days later, I found myself able to roam the halls of Edoras. I had just entered the Great Hall, when I heard two voices simultaneously exclaim, "Terumi!" Two figures collided into my skeletal one, and I felt a sudden rush of warmth as I struggled to remain upright.

"Steady on!" I laughed, not noticing the rapt stares from Boromir and Aragorn at the sound, "Surely you two cannot be Meriadoc and Peregrin? You both are far too tall to be my miscreant Hobbits!"

"Oi, who you calling miscreants?!" Merry countered, feigning hurt.

"Terumi, think fast!" Pippin shouted, gaining my attention. He threw the contents of a nearby water pitcher at me, for he and Merry had picked up the habit of trying to soak me with water as we traveled the river just to see me bend it away with ease.

I watched and waited with horror; foolishly, I flung my hands out to stop the swiftly approaching water- even though I knew it would not work. I shut my eyes as the beginning of the water hit my palms; the water splattered over my arms, and soaked my entire front. My eyes burned with tears, and I whispered tremulously, "Excuse me." I shoved my way past the astonished Hobbits, and ran back towards the sanctuary of my chambers.

"Fool of a Took!" I heard Gandalf bellow angrily, but soon I was out of hearing range.

A pair of arms caught me, and drew me into a protective embrace. I did not need to open my burning eyes to know that the person who held me was Boromir; I could feel it through the way he held me with a tender desperation. "Do not think poorly of the little one's action, he did not know," he whispered into my ear, "Come, Gandalf bid me bring you to him."

"Boromir?"

"Yes?"

"Can you help me? I am not sure I can walk on my own at the moment," I mumbled in explanation.

One of his arms wrapped securely around my waist, drew me to him, and then carefully led me back into the Great Hall. Upon entering, I noticed the lack of Merry and Pippin and also the thick, solemn air that had taken hold. "I have grave news concerning the state of your affliction," Gandalf said to me, "From what little Saruman told me with his cryptic tongue, there nothing within my power to reverse the effects of the poison his Dark Master has concocted."

There it was, the reality that I had been so desperately attempting to escape- now laid before me at my feet. I inwardly reeled, and was thankful Boromir had kept his arm about my waist- otherwise, I surely would have crumbled to the floor.

"Something must be done- there must be a-" Boromir's voice was cut off by one inside my mind.

'_Young waterbender, you know where you must go...sojourn to Loríen,_' Galadriel's voice sung in her comforting, Elvish lilt, '_Return to the embrace of the trees, Terumi._'

"I must go to Lothloríen," I spoke, severing all ongoing conversation around me, "I must return to the healing power of the Elves."

"Terumi, you cannot-" Boromir began.

"Boromir," I interjected gently, "Trust me."

"Then you will not be going alone," he said resolutely, and I knew that there would not be further debate about it.

"And I would have no other at my side," I murmured so that only he could hear. I turned to look at Gandalf and gave him a silent beseechment.

"You need not seek my permission, dear child, but you have my blessing nonetheless," Gandalf finished with a laugh.

Aragorn turned to a servant and instructed, "Fetch them horses at once!" he ordered to a servant.


	21. Chapter 21

After many hard days' ride, we reached the woods of Lothloríen. Upon looking at the aged, breathtaking trees, I felt a blanket of familiarity and comfort envelope me.

"Welcome, Lady Terumi and Captain Boromir, the Lady of Light has been expecting you for quite some time," an elf greeted us, and who I assumed was the one who replaced Haldir. At the thought of the late elf, a pang filled my heart; I should have done something...I could have healed him.

I bowed in greeting, and blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. Boromir followed suit, although his eyes narrowed when the newly appointed march warden came up and took me by the hand.

"Come, Lady Terumi, you must be weary from your journey," the Elf murmured, and led me further in Caras Galadhon.

Hours later, Boromir and I had been fed, bathed, and allowed a lengthy repose. I was garbed in an Elven dress that shone like moonlight against the great sea surrounding my tribe. But what surprised me was that I had not seen Lady Galadriel yet, and that troubled me for an unknown reason. I rose from my bed, unable to sleep much anyways, and walked down the familiar path that led me to the river's shore. I removed the slippers from my feet, drew up the skirts of my dress, and placed my bare feet into the water. A jolt of grief wracked my chest when I did not feel the familiar rush of exhilaration as my feet were encompassed by the surprisingly warm water. Was this how the water felt to everyone else, so unattached and lifeless? A breeze raked its gentle fingers through my unbound hair, and the long-forgotten piece of the woods smoothed away the lightest cracks upon my soul. A shuddering sob escaped my lips; how could such beauty and peace exist in a world fraught with such dark and overwhelming evil?

A strong arm enveloped me about the waist from behind and a body molded against mine, which caused me to tense and gasp. "I knew I would find you here," a baritone voice murmured, one that I knew quite well.

"Boromir," I mumbled, and fell into him.

"Why do you cry?" he inquired, gently raking his fingers through my hair and his tenderness only served to make more tears spill. "Oh Terumi," he whispered, and buried his face into my hair.

"I fell so empty...I- I have never felt this alone...even when..." I trailed off brokenly, "How a-am I to d-do anything n-no-now?"

Boromir was quiet for a time, but I knew he was lost in thought. His arm tightened around me, and then he finally replied, "I cannot even begin to empathise how you feel at this moment, but heed my words when I say that the presence you bear about you aids all of us- whether you possess your bending or no. Many look to you as their pillar of hope and for strength when they have none...and I- I look to you when I wish to know why I need to keep fighting and be the man you believe in me."

The hand that was laced within my hair freed itself, and somewhat awkwardly brushed away the tears that clung to my face. I leaned into his touch, and my heart swelled with an unfamiliar, albeit welcome, warmth at his tenderness. "Boromir," I whispered, unable to form any proper words of gratitude except for the manner in which I spoke his name.

"Do not thank me, you need not ever thank me," he chided softly, and nuzzled his nose against my neck. "Listen," he mused suddenly as we sat in silence.

"_May it be an evening star shine down upon you. May it be when darkness falls, your heart will be true. You walk a lonely road, oh, how far you are from home,_" a voice beyond all those who were deemed fair sang out through the woods, "_Mornie utulie; believe, and you will find your way. Mornie alantie, a promise lives within you now..._" As the voice trailed off, fresh bouts of tears fell and sobs sounded.

"Sh, sh, I have you," Boromir soothed, he turned me in his arms so that he could hold me to him.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled hastily, embarrassed, and tried to get on my feet.

"Never apologise for crying, Terumi, never apologise."

I settled into his arms, and proceeded to relinquish all of my control over the emotions that I had so dutifully kept hidden away to all but myself. Boromir said nothing, only holding me protectively in his arms until I finally succumbed to exhaustion.

The next morning, I was met with a melodic voice gently calling my name. I opened my eyes and saw Lady Galadriel sitting on the edge of my bed; I lurched upright, which caused a small smile to upturn her lips. "Calm yourself, young waterbender," she spoke softly. At her moniker, tears burned my eyes, and her hand came up to cup the side of my face. "Do not feel such agony over something beyond that of your control," she mused, "Come with me." Numbly, I followed her out, going deep into the woods of Lothloríen. "A very powerful and ancient dark magic has fallen over you, imbued into the blade that struck you down in the battle...crafted by Sauron's treacherous hands- you know this," she said with gentle omnipotence.

"Yes," I whispered, bowing my head.

"Do not let the Enemy defeat you so easily, you have a promise within you...one that I shall see fulfilled."

"But how? My bending is gone- Saruman said so."

"Terumi, have faith in yourself, and time shall see it through. I want you to sit by the pool of water, look into the water, and clear your mind," she instructed.

I did as she said, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not clear my mind. As I stared into the water, two things remained in the forefront of my mind- the desperate longing to bend the water before me and the wistful thought of all the forms I have done in times past. For hours, I sat there with a mind full of muddlesome thoughts; Galadriel somewhere behind me.

"Brush away the emotions that cloud your mind...discipline your mind," she whispered in the wind.

I gritted my teeth, and I tried to do as she requested; however, I could not refrain from trying to reach out with my mind to commune with the water as I intimately had done before. I felt the darkness that swarmed within my soul bubble to a tempest, and a cold sweat trickled down my spine. I sat at the pool's edge for hours; I somehow could sense the sun's movement across the sky.

"Enough," Galadriel said suddenly, making me jerk in response.

Strangely exhausted, I took her offered hand, and was met with the sight of Boromir standing along the edge of the glen. When he saw me leaning against Lady Galadriel for support, he wordlessly came up to me and took me into his arms.

"I can walk, Boromir, put me down," I argued feebly.

"You look exhausted," Boromir argued, "Come, you must eat." He carried me towards where the Fellowship had stayed and I found a meal laid out and waiting for us.

"Thank you," I murmured in fatigue, and held onto him as he carried me to a place where I could sit. As much as I loathed admitting it, he was right- I was exhausted. I smiled faintly up at him when he set me down on the ground with great care.

We ate in silence, until Boromir suddenly asked, "Do you miss your home?"

"I constantly miss being surrounded by the ocean, my namesake...and I miss the only friend I had there. But my missing her is out of my control- I would miss her the same there as I do here," I replied faintly.

"What happened to your friend? Your namesake?"

" She died…My parents named me after the ocean...'Terumi' means 'bright, shining ocean.' My grandfather told me I was born amidst a fierce oceanic storm, and that when I came into the world...the ocean ceased its tempest and calmed," I mused softly, my throat growing thick with melancholy at the mention of Yue and my parents.

"Why have you not spoken of your parents in times past?" Boromir inquired gently.

"My mother died shortly after I was born, and my father went mad from grief...some say he wandered onto the thin ice and was lost- other rumours say that he drowned himself- because- because he was unable to raise the very being that stole his wife away," I explained, my voice barely above a whisper, "I have lived with my grandfather since the very beginning...until I came here." I blinked back the tears that burned and clouded my vision as I asked him hoarsely, "Do you often think of Minas Tirith?"

"Not a day goes by where I do not think of the White City," he mused, eyes slightly glazed over as he lost himself in reverie.

I let him think back on happier times, and thought of the state of my world. Was it freed from the tyranny of the Firelord, or had the Avatar failed? I wished that the latter was not the truth, but in all honesty- I hardly felt a part of that world anymore. I no longer saw the division of race through the elements; but of Dwarves, Elves, and Men- my enemy was no longer Firelord Ozai, but Sauron and his puppets. My faith no longer lay with the Avatar but with Frodo.

"Terumi?" Boromir gently calling my name pulled me away from my thoughts, and I looked to him. "Will you ever be the same?" he murmured.


	22. Chapter 22

His brutal, yet soft, inquiry brought forth fresh tears and bile rose into my throat. I lurched to my feet and ran away from him, but not before a sob managed to wrench itself from its place within my chest. "Terumi, wait!" Boromir called after me, but I did not stop...I did not want to. My legs ached, but that did not stop me. Up ahead, I saw the river, and that caused me to run faster; just before I ran off the ledge of the riverbank, I leapt into the air and dove into the water.

The surprisingly warm water soothed away my tears, and I turned onto my back and floated. I closed my eyes, and tried to bend the water around me so that it would lift me off the faceted surface. Nothing…save for the trembles created from my hands that were so strained- they shook violently. "Terumi," I heard Lady Galadriel call out faintly from the opposite shore. "Come out of the water," she urged me gently. I did as she requested, and heaved myself out of the river and onto the shore where she stood. "Come, follow me," she murmured, and took my suddenly cold hand in her warm one. She silently led me back to my chambers and then began to peel away the water-sodden layers that chilled my skin.

She soon had me dressed in a warm nightdress that was the colour of the great pines that were just outside. She guided me to sit on the center of my bed, and then she sat behind me. She plucked the comb off the table at the bedside, and gently began to brush through my tangled hair. She continued even though the tangles were long gone and a warm sensation in my chest blossomed; after a time, she braided my hair into an intricate, Elvish plait. "I always enjoyed my mother brushing my hair when I was an elleth," she spoke softly.

I swallowed the thick lump in my throat before I mumbled, "I never had one to do so."

"Many things are taken from us before their time, young waterbender. My daughter, Celebrían, was taken from me because of the grief she suffered on this earth."

"Arwen's mother?" I asked intently, "You are-"

"-Yes, I am her grandmother."

"Arwen would never tell me what happened to her mother," I mused.

"She did not lose her to Death as you did, but because of a choice my daughter made," Lady Galadriel explained cryptically. A silence fell over us for a few moments until Lady Galadriel began to sing, "May it be, the shadow's call will fly away. May it be, your journey on to light the day. When the night is overcome you may rise to find the sun. Mornie utulie, believe and you will find your way. Mornie alantie, a promise lives within you now...a promise lives within you now." She kissed my brow softly, and I fell under the caress of her song. And for the first time since my poisoning, I was not haunted by my nightmare.

"Lady Terumi, the Lady of the Golden Wood bids me bring you to her," a she-elf said as she roused me from slumber. She quickly helped me dress, and then guided me down a flight of stairs into a glen where I saw Lady Galadriel waiting for me...along with Boromir.

"Boromir, what are you doing here?" I asked, confused.

"I called him," Lady Galadriel explained simply. She motioned for me to approach. "I have sought the counsel of Lord Elrond, who believes that the darkness within you has severed your powers by latching itself onto a particular emotion," she said as I came up to her.

"My chakra?" I asked.

"Yes, in your land and tongue it is known as such," she added, "Lord Elrond suspects that the darkness has latched itself upon your guilt. The decision that I should draw it has been made." Without warning, she forced her presence into my mind.

_I saw a woman, sweating and heavily pregnant, scream and arch her back. A man knelt by her side and held her hand while she stained under the throes of labour. "That's it, Asana, the baby is almost here," the man- my father- urged. My mother thrashed briefly, and contorted, and then she screamed again- the storm outside seemed to increase drastically. _

_A baby's cry tore through the suddenly still air. _

"_Asana," my father cried with joy, "It's a girl, a beautiful girl!" My mother was unnaturally silent, and she was barely breathing. _

"_I...name her...Terumi," my mother murmured, her voice exceedingly faint, and he head fell back- utterly limp. _

"_Asana? Asana!" my father cried out, blindly shoving my newborn body into my grandfather's arms. He clung to my mother's lifeless body, and he shook her with frantic tenderness. "Asana- speak to me! Come on- breathe! Stay with me, Asana!" he cried out in tremulous desperation. _

'_**She is dead because of you...his darling wife would be here if it wasn't for you- they would have been happy.'**_

I whimpered, but Lady Galadriel continued on.

_I watched Merry and Pippin get carried away by the Uruk-hai, screaming Boromir's and my names. _

'_**You could have saved us- you should have saved us. You are selfish, and because of that you let us suffer.'**_

_An Uruk-hai brought its sword down upon Haldir, and Haldir crumbled to his knees. So many of his kinsmen lay about him, dead. _

'_**You could have saved me; you were there- you could have healed me.'**_

"But...Aragorn was in danger," I whispered, tears of guilt and shame raced down my face in an endless stream.

'_**But nothing! You sealed my fate- you killed me!'**_

_Aragorn struggled to get to my unconscious body, but as he did so- he entered the line of a charged Warg. I watched him struggle to free himself...but it was all for naught. He and the Warg slid off the cliff._

"NO! Aragorn!" I screamed hysterically.

'_**Because of your frailty and stupidity, your precious Ranger almost died. Think of Arwen- you, her friend, the one responsible...'**_

"I didn't mean to- I should have-" I stammered, nearly incoherent.

_Ignoring Sokka's please, Yue entered the Spirit Oasis. The moment she touched the body of the Moon Spirit, she collapsed in the water. Sokka rushed to her and frantically called to her. "Good bye, Sokka," she whispered. _

'_**You weren't there to protect me! You failed- you were never my friend. You were always envious of me, you are happy I am dead!'**_

"No, Yue- I would never! I loved you- you were my best friend! I regret it every day!" I cried, and I collapsed on the ground, my fingers clawing at my scalp.

'_**LIAR!'**_

_A third arrow pierced Boromir, this one landing over his heart. He turned to look at me, blood falling past his lips. "Terumi-" he gasped, but was cut short as the fourth arrow hit its mark. _

'_**You stole him from me once, you will not- cannot- do it again.'**_

_Boromir fought before a white city, surrounded by Orcs; his body was littered with weeping wounds and there was nothing I could do. _

'_**Call to him, let him hear your voice before I have his heart ripped out of his chest!'**_

"BOROMIR! BOROMIR, NO! DON'T LEAVE ME!" I screamed, my fingers wrenching my hair about wildly.

"ENOUGH!"

Lady Galadriel's presence left my mind, and I returned to the glen.

'_**You cannot defeat me, whelp...and you will lose...everything.'**_

"Terumi? Terumi, speak to me," Boromir urged softly.

I cried out and trembled violently, hands still tearing at my hair. My face felt hot and swollen with tears, and I could only see everything I had endured over and over and over again. "I'm sorry...no...please! Kill me instead- don't!" I rambled.

Gentle, strong hands pried my hands out of my hair, and arms cradled me to their owner's chest. "Why did you not stop when she first cried out?! The mind is not a book to be opened at will and examined at leisure!" Boromir growled as he drew me close. "It's all right, I am here… I have you. You're safe, I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered frantically in my ear.

"Lord Elrond was wrong, the curse remains with her." A gentle hand rested on the crown of my head, and Lady Galadriel finished in a whisper, "I am sorry, my darling...you are out of my reach."

I clung to Boromir, and whispered to her, "Get away."

Boromir rose to his feet, carefully lifting me off the ground as he did so. He made his gait as smooth as possible as he carried me to my chambers. I was still trembling in his arms, occasionally letting out a faint cry. "What can I do?" Boromir beseeched with desperate urgency.

I ignored him, and merely shook my head violently. Viscid, frigid sweat dripped down the length of my spine and I flinched as haunting image floated languidly in my mind in cacophonous repetition. I felt the mattress beneath me, and numbly registered Boromir pulling the covers over me. One of his hands rested against my clammy brow; I leaned into his touch, and gently murmured his name.

"Sh, sh, I am here," he assured me, "I am right here."

"Stay-" I choked out, before the darkness consumed me.


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: I apologise profusely that it has been so long since my last update. I was trapped in Utah without the ability to use a computer- not even enough time to sit…really. I am currently working on the next chapter, which will be up later tonight.**

Days later and despite the tranquility around me, I was in a more dire state of being than when I had first arrived in Lothloríen. My clothes hung on my too thin-haggard- frame; my hair was greasy and limp upon my head; I looked as though I had aged a millennium. Boromir had taken to dogging my every step, becoming my bulky second shadow. I would cast him vexed glares over my shoulder, but of course he remained undeterred. I do not know why he followed me every day- nothing differentiated in my doings at all; I would rise from a fitful slumber, sit by the river for hours, and then would promptly cry like a babe- only to finish the day by an early retirement to bed. The monotony was as soothing as it was poisonous; I drew small comfort from knowing what the schedule of the day was, yet knowing there was nothing within my power to change it killed me.

Finally, Boromir had had enough of my seemingly eternal defeatist attitude. He hefted me over his shoulder with ease, and stormed off in the direction of Lady Galadriel's court. "Damn it, Terumi, fight!" he growled as he thundered down the path.

"Boromir, put me down," I sighed mutely, voice flat and hoarse from disuse.

"Heal her!" Boromir demanded loudly, and set me jarringly back on my feet before Lady Galadriel.

"The cure lies within her will, only she can do so-"

At her words, Boromir turned to angrily look upon me. "Terumi- why haven't you resolved this plague?! Have you known that you were the one and only to set you right?!"

"I had my suspicions," I mumbled.

"Then why in Valhalla have y-"

"-BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO BE AMONGST THE LIVING ANYMORE!" I screamed, incensed with an overwhelming rage, "You will not- cannot ever understand what I am going through! Can you honestly say that you felt like there is this ever-present, ever-growing darkness taking root where your heart once was?! My blood used to roll and roar like the sea, but now, I am left without the very thing that made me who I was! You know _**nothing**_ of this painful burden closing in around me...you know nothing of how much I wish Gandalf had never come for me- I wish I had never come to this wretched place. Because of your _**wretched**_ Middle-Earth, I am forced to live a half-life. Does that even register on what little conscience as a warrior you have left?" I spat.

Boromir looked as though I had physically struck him, but said nothing. "Her choice has yet to come before her, Captain of Gondor," Lady Galadriel mused cryptically, "However, one lies at your feet now. Sauron has sent forth all legions to strike the final blow of this war on Minas Tirith. If you wish to aid in deciding the fate of this world, you must depart immediately."

Boromir's face grew ashen and grim, determined; he looked to me and asked, "Ready?"

"I will not be going with you, Boromir," I explained faintly, "I have seen and fought enough war to last me ten lifetimes. I must heal, and there is only one place for such peace."

"But, Terumi, do you not wish to see our companions? Surely you wish to be at their side when we reach the fate of our world?"

"There was a time where I would have followed you anywhere, Boromir, but times have changed- and this world was never ours...it is yours," I mused, "It was never mine."

"You cannot mean that- you have to come with me," Boromir beseeched, and took hold of my hands. "What of Gandalf- or Aragorn?" he inquired.

"Gandalf knew my choice as soon as we left from Rohan," I answered, "And shortly thereafter, I imagine, so did Aragorn."

"Please, Terumi, come with me," Boromir repeated his plea, "I need you with me- always."

"I cannot, "I whispered hoarsely, and jerked out of his grasp. "Boromir, we cannot keep doing this to one another, you have your duty to your people as their captain, and me- I have my duty to my heart." I shut my eyes to prevent the tears from falling. Of course, despite my efforts- the tears fell anyway and I felt Boromir's calloused hands wipe them away...as he always did.

"Do not cry...not over me- that means I have failed you once more," Boromir murmured in a rasp, and he pulled me by the back of my head so that our foreheads touched. I refused to open my eyes, even though I felt his own boring into mine; I knew that if I did, and when his steel met my azure, I knew I would fail the promise to myself to heal. I felt his hand lower to cup the back of my neck, his tenderness causing more tears to fall.

His lips capture mine in a heady, albeit gentle, kiss and I felt everything Boromir had yet to say. I made to pull back and break the kiss to save myself the pain, but Boromir thought otherwise. His hands cupped my face with such reverence that I could no longer feign resistance. All those feelings I had pushed aside, that were overruled by war, came crashing down on me as I thought that this would be the last chance we would see one another. I clutched his tunic with frantic desperation and pressed my lips insistently against his.

"Captain Boromir, if you are to aid your kin, you must leave now."

At the sound of Lady Galadriel's voice, I broke the kiss and drew away from Boromir. "Good bye, Boromir," I whispered and gave him a trembling, broken smile

Boromir was silent for a few minutes- all the while, his eyes darted over the contours of my face as if were committing every facet to covet in memory. Finally he said, "Farewell, Terumi." He then made his way to the horse that awaited him; every few strides he would stop to look back at me over his shoulder- every time he did so I would smile. When he mounted his horse and looked at me one last time, I raised a hand in farewell. He looked as though he was going to say something more, but he steeled himself and steered his horse away.

I held myself together until he was well out of my sight, but once he had done so I crumbled into Lady Galadriel's waiting arms in a torrent of tears. She did not need to inquire why I shed such tears, she knew- she knew that I was crying for the one who I had so foolishly failed to tell I loved him.


	24. Chapter 24

I had been in Rivendell for a little less than a fortnight, and had devoted my time at Arwen's side. According to Lord Elrond, her fate was intertwined with the Ring's' she was in a deep slumber when I had arrived, and when she made no movements telling us she would wake- I worried endlessly for my near sister. She was all I had to call family at the moment, and she was beyond my help.

"She will wake," Lord Elrond assured me, but even he had doubt evident in his voice.

One night, I was sleeping at Arwen's side when I felt it- the inescapable call. I rose from the bed as if in a trance and went to the roaring waterfall just outside Arwen's chambers. With my eyes still shut, I peeled away the Elven garb- my naked skin glowed beneath the full moon's light, and I entered the pool. I lay on my back- floating- and as more water came in contact with my bare skin, my blood churned and boiled beneath the surface. I bowed and contorted against the unfamiliar pain that I had never associated with water, and my mind suddenly became lucid at the appearance of two presences.

'_Everything that you hold on to was not your fault, Terumi, you are but one person- one warrior amongst an army- but an individual nonetheless. No one blames you for those you could not save; if anything, others see the multitudes you saved,_' Boromir's and Aragorn's voices spoke with conviction in my mind.

'_**All lies- you were only a means of advantage that only failed- no one cares for you! You killed your mother and countless others, and they abhor you.**_' My mind burned with the presence of Sauron, and I knew that he was right...I only failed those who had put their faith in me so earnestly.

'_Terumi, my shining ocean, listen to me,_' a woman's voice that I had not heard before murmured tenderly- a harsh contrast to Sauron's, '_Listen to me...shake off these shackles that bind you so greedily to the darkness. You were made from the Light, and it is time to return to where you belong._' Amidst the pain, I felt a ghost-like hand caress the side of my face. The blood within my veins roared with the waterfall overhead, and the water ebbed away some of the searing pain. Something within me trembled and threatened to shatter- I wanted it to happen- I needed it to happen.

'_Too long you have been submersed in the darkness, return to the Light..._'

'_**No! You are mine- you will never be loved! You pathetic, mewling quim!**_'

'_You were never his, Terumi, nor shall you ever be. Let the guilt flow; let it flow like the water around you. Feel the darkness leave your soul as the water heals you. You are strong, and I know that it is time for you to return to your right and proper state,_' the woman urged gently.

I heeded her instruction and felt the moments that held me back flash through my mind- my mother; Merry and Pippin; Haldir; Aragorn; Yue; Boromir. The darkness clung to me with a ferocity equal to a vice, making my body once more contort and arch in an attempt to escape the pain. All I felt was fire, piercing my body like a thousand shards of glass, which made me cry out hoarsely. This was different than before, the darkness felt volatile...vulnerable. I was burning with it, and I could feel it weakening; this was it- the pivotal moment that determined the fate of Middle-Earth. I could hear the cacophonous symphony of the battle. I could feel Sauron's fear.

'_**You will lose...everything.**_'

_Boromir was surrounded my Orcs, isolated from his friends and allies; Aragorn struggled beneath the troll bearing down upon him; Gandalf looked to the Nazgûl that was approaching, ready for the kill; and my dear Hobbits were fighting for their lives. All was lost...the end of all things drew near. _

Suddenly the fire within me ceased and I limply floated in the pool. Exhaustion threatened to possess me, but life was breathed back into me. '_It is over, my darling Terumi, and I could not be more proud of you...open your eyes,_' the woman's voice murmured with conviction, '_You are free at last, my precious daughter._'

Water roared in my ears, and my eyes snapped open with a deafening crack, and the water that surrounded me burst upwards towards the heavens- only to float motionless in mid air. The droplets scintillated brighter than a thousand suns against the light of the full moon; the cool, damp soil of the pool's floor brought a keen sense of overwhelming joy to my soul. My blood sang in my veins, and that was when I felt it- I felt the presence that I had been so bereft of. With my body trembling with an uncontrollable flux of energy, I staggered to my feet and took the proper stance. I only needed to outstretch my arms and expands my hands for the water to swirl and dance back to where it belonged.

I lurched into a desperate sprint towards Arwen's chambers. Too long had my dear friend been under the power of Sauron as I had been- and now, we were both free. Free at last! Free at last! The thought caused a bubbling laugh to tumble off my lips as I ran. I stumbled into her chambers, barely aware of the sight I must have been. "Arwen," I whispered as I saw the she-elf resting upright in her bed- her eyes glittering with life.

"Terumi," she rasped, voice hoarse from disuse, and she motioned for me to come closer. "Why are you naked and look as though you were in the pool beneath the great waterfall?"

"It's over," I replied, completely ignoring her inquiry, "We won, Arwen, Middle-Earth is free."

My friend's eyes glistened with tears; a sigh and smile of relief sound and curved her lips. "Aragorn," she murmured in reverent prayer, and she closed her eyes as a solitary tear slid down the ageless contour of her face.

"Rest, I imagine the Fellowship will be here soon," I urged, and slipped out of her chambers. I quickly went to my chambers to don on a dress, and then walked to where I had shown Glorfindel my powers when I had first arrived at the Last Homely House East of the Sea, which felt like it had happened over a lifetime ago. I held my arms outstretched, palms facing down, and reveled in the pull I felt from the water beneath me. I gently swept my arms back and forth in the simple push and pull motion; the water below heeded my call, and I could sense the surge of power grow with each motion. With forced restraint, I drew a tapered hand up, summoning a tendril of water to snake its way about me- only to then make it form against me like a translucent, scintillating second skin. I closed my eyes as I felt water slide across my skin in a gliding caress, and then with a wave of my hand I sent the water tumbling back to the river. I looked to the eastern mountains that surrounded Rivendell and saw the signs of the approaching dawn; deciding that it would be best to get some rest, I sojourned to my chambers. And with the last rays of moonlight caressing me, I fell into a gentle slumber I had not had for a time.

A calloused hand gently taking hold of mine was what woke me. My eyes cracked open, and I saw Gandalf leaning over me; however, I refrained from launching myself into his arms due to his solemn expression. "Gandalf, what is the matter?" I asked, voice raspy with sleep.

"It is Frodo, Lord Elrond has not been successful in awakening him," Gandalf explained, his worried eyes belying his otherwise collected demeanour.

"Take me to him," I replied in earnest, and quickly rose from my bed and donned on the nearest article of clothing over my thin slip. Gandalf led me up to Elrond's House of Healing, and as I entered the room- darkness immediately pressed down upon me. I blinked rapidly as if clearing my vision of the invisible fog that hung heavy in the air. Frodo's prone figure lay pale against the white sheets of the bed; his lips were cracked and caked with dry blood. I came to his and gently ran my fingers through his ebony curls. "Oh, Frodo," I whispered in worry, and looked him over. He seemed all right, save for the dark rings under his eyes and the bandage about his right hand. I sat on the edge of the bed, and slowly swept a hovering hand over the length of his body; my healing power could feel the traces of darkness scattered throughout the entirety of him, but the darkness was strongest when my hand fell over his heart. "You did not kill me; you will not kill him," I whispered, and summoned the darkness forth with the strange control I had over a person's body. Frodo unconsciously arched and bowed under the agony of the now weakening darkness. Summoning water to my hand, I placed it over Frodo's rapidly beating heart; the water glowed a rich sapphire blue, but was swiftly sullied by the darkness leeching into it.

I cast the now black water away and summoned fresh water; bit by bit, I was lessening the darkness within Frodo. Clammy, cold sweat dampened my entire body, and I began to tremble with effort. Ignoring the aching of my own body, I pressed onward- Fordo would live. Some of the darkness latched itself onto me and greedily fed on the little energy I possessed. I could hear the muffled voices of the memories I had so desperately blamed myself for, and only just overcame them. I flinched at the anguished screams echoing within my head, and suddenly cried out, "NO! It is over, and you have no power here- you are the weak one...you never knew of the love I have and give…and for that, I pity you..." Finally, the darkness had been stretched and drawn out to its breaking point and I sighed in earnest, heartfelt relief before I succumbed to unconsciousness.

I awoke to the sound of hushing singing, and someone's fingers gently raking through my hair. My eyes fluttered open, and I beheld Aragorn looking every part of the king he was to become before me. "Aragorn," I rasped with a warm, albeit tired smile.

"Hello, little one, Mithrandir said you surpassed a many daunting obstacles since we last saw one another." His hand within my hair ceased its movements and instead cupped the side of my face; I leaned into the touch, and looked at him with tears surfacing in my eyes.

"Is it really over?" I inquired, my voice barely above a whisper.

Aragorn let out a brief, hearty laugh and replied, "Yes, the battle for Middle-Earth is over and won."

A shadow fell across the door, and I desperately wished it to be Boromir; however, Fate was not so kind. "Lass- ye are just like Aragorn here- the luckiest and most reckless people I ever knew!" Gimli exclaimed indignantly.

I laughed at the Dwarf's chiding welcome and I embraced him as best I could; however, Aragorn noticed that my smile did not reach my eyes, and saw my brief glance at the door.

"Boromir thought it best to remain in Minas Tirith," he murmured in explanation.

But he should have been here- he, of all people, should have been at my side after my Awakening. Shaking away my troubling thoughts, as this was a time of great joy; I smiled broadly when I saw two, very much missed faces appear in my line of sight. "Peregrin! Meriadoc!" I cried out happily, and laughed as my dear Hobbits clambered hastily to my bedside. They took turns embracing me, which I returned with equal fervor. "You got your bending back!" Pippin exclaimed.

"Gandalf told us all about it when we arrived! Terumi, we got to fly on giant eagles!" Merry added.

"That I did, and I am going to repay the favour bestowed upon me last we met when the two of you doused me with a pitcher of water," I teased. I leaned back against my pillow with latent fatigue, which Aragorn quickly understood.

"Come away, Terumi needs her rest. She must look well so that she looks every part the king's sister," Aragorn said, and ushered everyone out of my chambers. "Sleep," he ordered from the doorway, and for once- I did exactly as I was told.


	25. Chapter 25

The day had finally arrived; the day of Aragorn's coronation. Gandalf and the rest of the Fellowship had arrived at dawn. I beheld the magnificence of the war ravaged White City; I thought upon Boromir when he expressed the wish to bring me here...to show me his home. I brushed aside the nostalgic memory that seemed to have taken place so long ago, and followed Gandalf up to the citadel. Whispers erupted about me in a faint symphony as the people of Gondor took in my conspicuous outlandish appearance; my strange garb was probably what was first voiced, next my tanned skin, and followed by the power unconsciously I exuded.

"This way, Terumi, Aragorn wishes for you to get ready in these chambers," Gandalf explained, and motioned to the doors on my right.

Sensing his impatience due to the responsibility of the coronation and lack of time, I quickly slipped inside silently. However, upon entering, I was met with the strangest of sights. There was Eowyn, the shield maiden of Rohan, ensnared in a fiercely tender embrace with a man that looked very similar...despite the obvious fact that I had never met him before. I cleared my throat nervously when the man brushed his lips against Eowyn's, causing the two of them to jerk away from one another. "Terumi?!" Eowyn asked incredulously, her face paler than normal and her eyes alight with unsurpassable joy. I could only tremulously nod my head in affirmation, and then my arms were filled with my dear friend. "Oh, how I have missed you!" she exclaimed softly in the crook of my neck, and wiped the few tears that had escaped away.

It was then I noticed that her left arm was heavily bandaged. "Eowyn, what happened to you?" I asked in breathless concern, and quickly summoned some water to envelope her arm- ignoring the man visibly tensing in shocked awe.

"I fought the Witch King of Angmar-" Eowyn explained haltingly.

"-the Lord of the Nazgûl?!" I interjected whilst still healing her arm, "Eowyn, what were you thinking?!"

Eowyn's face grew incredibly somber and melancholy and she looked to the floor. The man took a step forward, wanting to come to Eowyn's side but seemed hesitant to approach me. "My uncle..." Eowyn mumbled tearfully, only for the complete opposite reason than before.

"Oh, Eowyn," I sighed sympathetically, and drew my friend close once more, "I am so very sorry; your uncle was an honourable man."

"Where were you? Why were you not here to heal him?" There was no accusation in my friend's voice, only inconsolable grief.

"Eowyn, during the Battle at Helm's Deep...I lost my bending. No one outside the Fellowship knew, and that was how I wished it to remain for the time being. I did not want anyone's pity, nor did I want them to be distracted. I did regain my bending until the fall of Sauron," I explained faintly, and brushed away the hair that had fallen into her face.

"That is why Lord Boromir returned without you," Eowyn mused, seemingly more to herself than to me. My face grew crestfallen at the mention of Boromir; facing him was going to be far more difficult that I had envisioned...far more painful. "What happened whilst the two of you were amongst the Elves? He came back a different man," she inquired.

"Duty," I answered cryptically, and rubbed at my face tiredly. "So who is this?" I asked, latently changing the subject of conversation.

"I am Faramir, Captain of the White City," the man introduced himself, and bowed.

"You are Boromir's brother?" I asked intently, finally realising the resemblance between the two men.

"The very same," he concurred, "So you are the one whom captured the heart of Gondor's most valiant soldier and Captain- where so many others had failed."

I blushed faintly at the strange compliment and tried not to think too hard on how many women pursued Boromir before I had entered Middle-Earth. "I do not possess the knowledge to admit or deny your statement...and it appears that I am not the only one capturing hearts,' I countered flatly.

"Enough," Eowyn said, ending the banter before it had chance to begin, "The coronation will be upon us before we know it. I shall see you then, Faramir," she finished, thoroughly dismissing him.

As Faramir opened the door to leave, I beseeched, "Faramir, please do not inform Boromir of my presence here." He nodded his head curtly, and departed without another word.

Eowyn recaptured my attention when she ordered, "Change." She pointed to the dress that lay on the bed, and then peeled off her own dress.

I padded over to the bed, and gently lifted the gown to inspect it in a better light. The dress was a perfect culmination of the culture I had left behind. The colours of the dress were of the deepest oceanic azure and the pale blue that reminded me of the ice that made my tribe's home; the style was similar to my tribal garb, only that it was more fitted and had draping sleeves that almost touched the floor. Upon further inspection when a flash of silver caught in the light, I discovered silver embroidery of crashing waves that shone like moonlight.

A glance over my shoulder revealed what Eowyn was wearing; her dress shone like spun gold and liquid sunlight, and like my dress had sleeves that languidly trailed downward- with the exception of the hems being lined with fur. She was carefully placing a thin crown upon her brow and made sure not to mess up her silky, flaxen waves- it was then she caught me observing her movements with rapt intrigue. "Come here," she spoke warmly, motioning me to her, "Aragorn had this brought up as well." In her hands was a silver circlet, whose craftsmanship matched the embroidery of the dress and had scintillating pearls, strategically laid into the precious metal. "But first, we need to tame your tangled mess of hair," she teased, and gently set the circlet down. Reaching for the ivory comb, she then began to gently unsnarl my hair.

"It's strange, isn't it? This tranquil air." I mused faintly.

"I keep expecting to hear the call to arms or Orc horns," Eowyn added. She ran the teeth of the comb through my hair until it tumbled down to the small of back in glossy waves; against she took the circlet in hand, and then placed it upon my brow. "We better depart- the coronation will be starting shortly."

"And that is why I am here," Aragorn announced from the doorway. He smiled warmly when he saw me and said, "You look beautiful, Terumi, looking like the sister of a king as you should."

"Well, that should scare off any suitors...between Aragorn and Mithrandir, I fear you will never be wed- for no man perfect enough exists," Eowyn chortled.

Aragorn laughed heartily before he offered me his arm. "Come along," he murmured.

I smiled with tears of joy shining in my eyes as I beheld Gandalf placing the crown upon Aragorn's brow as knelt before him. Aragorn looked up at Gandalf, who proclaimed, "Now come the days of the King, may they be blessed."

Aragorn slowly rose to his feet and turned to face his people; cheers and applause erupted, and I eagerly followed suit. "This day does not belong to one man, but to all. Let us together rebuild this world; that we may share in the days of peace," Aragorn spoke, and as he finished white petals fell from the upper levels of the citadel. More cheers rang out in the air, and I saw Eowyn and Faramir smile at one another- which reminded me that I had yet to see Boromir. Aragorn closed his eyes and began to sing, "Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien, Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar- metta!" As he sang, he walked down the aisle and stopped when the Elves approached. Legolas strode forward, and followed suit when Aragorn placed his hand on his shoulder- they murmured softly to one another, and then Aragorn recognised someone else amongst the Elves. Bearing a flag of the White Tree, the Tree of Kings, was none other than Arwen- standing beside her father in breathless, latent joy. I saw Lord Aragorn mouth the words, "_Go to him._" Arwen approached with the flag still in hand, and when Aragorn gently pried it from her grasp she bowed her head.

Aragorn's face furrowed in confusion, and he tilted Arwen's face up with a gentle hand under her chin. Her eyes shone with the grief that had plagued her for all the time they had been apart; for all the time she had worried; for all the time she did not know whether he lived or had fallen like so many others. Their eyes met. She smiled tremulously up at him- suddenly Aragorn swept down and captured her lips in a kiss while he spun her around. They broke apart, deaf to the applause and cheers around them, and Arwen caressed the side of his face; the complete joy in their countenances brought fresh tears to my eyes. Aragorn took Arwen by the arm and continued on with her at his side.

"Who is that?" Eowyn asked me as she watched them.

"Arwen Undómiel, the daughter of Lord Elrond," I replied softly.

Aragorn and Arwen had stopped before the Hobbits, who began to bow their heads. "My friends," Aragorn corrected them, "You bow to no one." With that, he and Arwen kneeled before them- the multitude following. Merry, Frodo, Pippin, and Sam looked incredulously, and utterly, bewildered.

"Young waterbender," a familiar, melodic voice softly called out to me. I smiled as I rose to my feet and saw Lady Galadriel standing before me. "You have changed since last we met," she mused wryly.

Without much thought, I launched myself into her arms. "Thank you...for everything," I whispered hoarsely. She brushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen into my face; her smile one of wordless mirth.

"Times of great change lie before you, young waterbender, no matter which road you journey," she murmured, "And you will not traverse it alone."

I stepped out of her arms, and smiled. "May Yue ever shine down on you," I said.

Lady Galadriel dipped her head in thanks, and returned to her place beside Lord Celeborn with unsurpassed grace.

"Now comes the real fun, lass," Gimli mused, grinning like mad as he suddenly appeared at my side, "The feast!"

"Best not get into a drinking match with Legolas," Eowyn teased as she fell into step with Faramir.

Gimli sputtered incoherently and when I shot an inquisitive, quirked brow he grumbled, "Never you mind, lass, at least you were not there to see it. Come along-"

His words faded out as I saw an all too familiar figure slipping out of sight beside a woman with auburn hair. "Gimli, who is that woman that just left with Boromir?" I asked faintly as we threaded our way through the crowd.

"'Course I know her! She's Lady Gwendolynn- a very powerful figure in the court. Seems quite taken with the good Captain- if you ask me...they were right next to me during the coronation," Gimli replied.

I shook aside the dull ache that blossomed in my chest, and smiled half-heartedly down at the Dwarf. "Escort me to the celebration?" I asked.

"I would be honoured, lass." With that, I led into the citadel by the gruff, albeit exceedingly loveable, Dwarf.

Wine poured freely, plates never emptied, and the echoes of the people's celebration drifted up through the open doors of the citadel. I sat beside Aragorn and Arwen, with Merry and Pippin on my left. "What we need is some dancing or some sort of entertainment," Merry mused aloud.

Remembering the celebration held when the Avatar had first arrived, I was struck with an idea. "Aragorn, might I perform something for you?" I asked faintly.

"I would be honoured, Terumi, do you require any music?"

"I have it taken care of," I replied, and went to whisper in Pippin and Merry's ears. Their broad grins matched mine, and they scurried off to commandeer some instruments whilst I did a little introduction. I went to the center of the hall and cleared my throat to gain the court's attention. "As the customs of my people have been since the very beginning, I would like to perform a demonstration in honour of our newly-crowned King."

All eyes were fixed upon me, and I suddenly found myself alight with nerves. My eyes frantically looked to Gandalf, who gave me a reassuring nod of his whilst he avidly waited; I took the proper stance and had my forearms crossed over one another. A cleansing breath filled me the power of the full moon above, and assuaged my apprehensions. Feeling the energy from the pool of water beside the White Tree, I summoned a great mass to me. Acknowledging the gasps of astonishment with a latent quirk of my lips, I began to dance. Music from my homeland played, and I realised through the strange, lilting notes that my world was different of elephantine proportions than Middle-Earth...the strange land that it was. I swayed with the pulse of the water that I bent about me, and sent a tendril spiraling into the air. Enthralled, I created a ring of water tentacles; I had the tentacles strike at random, for which I arched and danced away- sometimes even arching back on the heel of one foot as its pair was in the air. I drew the water to me and formed it into a second skin and made the water begin to increase its tempest. With each pulse of a music note played by Merry and Pippin, I urged the water to become incensed...alive.

Soon, I was encased in a tempest that lashed and roared about me like the mighty ocean. I thrust my arms up and sent the water careening toward the ceiling- reveling in the feel of the water raking its intangible fingers through my hair as it did so. As water crashed against stone, I swept my arms about so that it ceased its descent and each individual drop thrashed and scintillated in the torchlight. Sighs of awes whispered from the table as the occupants beheld this strange display with unmatched awe. I waved my arms gently and gathered the water back together into one mass; I morphed it into a serpent and had it slither through the air, and back into the pool behind me.

Raucous applause from Gimli and the Hobbits echoed, and everyone else applauded with vigorous decorum. Aragorn rose to his feet and seemed as though he were about to say something, but he was looking at something over my shoulder and remained silent. Confused at his behaviour and equally curious, I turned to see what had so ardently captured Aragorn's attention. When I did, I was met with the sight of a disconcerted, exceedingly pale Boromir standing in the doorway.

My hands fell limply to my side, and I found myself lacking breath. A trembling hand rose to my clammy lips, and I swayed dangerously on my feet. I could feel Lady Galadriel's smile on the back of my head, and I blinked in rapid succession to keep the tears at bay. I hesitantly made my way to him, afraid that if I approached too swiftly he would vanish like smoke in the wind. Boromir stood, seemingly fixed upon the spot, with his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. His ragged breath was the only sound audible in the hall, along with my thundering heartbeat. His eyes, although fixed upon mine, revealed nothing. I had finally closed the distance between us- we were less than an arm's distance away from one another. Seeing an inflamed gash on his handsome face, I summoned water from the flask at my hip to ensconce the wounds and then quickly healed him.

My touch ignited something in him, for his hands latched on me- his arms snaked about my waist. Before I could so much as yelp in surprise, Boromir's lips were upon mine.


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: A quick little announcement- I feel like this story is just floating aimlessly around on the internet, and that the lack of review makes me greatly uninspired to post further chapters. I am usually not one to request reviews in order to post an update, but this story has reached that point. I do not care if you only say, "Good," or "I like it…" simply knowing that this is actually being read by other human beings is all that is needed. On with the tale. **

My eyelids fluttered shut, and my arms looped around his neck. His passion burned my lips, and he drew me to him like a man who had fasted for forty days and nights- and I was the first goblet of water in sight. I smiled into the kiss and returned it with equal fervor. Just when my lungs burned, Boromir broke the kiss- only to pepper my face with kisses. I realised I was crying when I felt his lips become wet when they touched my skin, but Boromir soon remedied that by wiping and kissing them away. After another lingering kiss upon my lips, he buried face in my unbound hair; I wrapped my arms around him in a tender embrace, and it was then I realised he was trembling violently. I clung to him tighter, and he murmured, "I thought you were dead- I heard whispers in my mind that you were gone..."

I swallowed back the sob that burned the back of my throat as I replied thickly, "I never left." I cupped his face with my trembling hands, and I kissed him to soothe his fears. Our lips moved in tandem, fire shot through my soul with each passing second; his fingers threaded themselves into my hair, and his lips eagerly swept across mine.

"Oi- steady on! I don't want to lose supper!" Pippin exclaimed.

Boromir and I pulled away, and I felt my face grow hot with my blush. "This way," Boromir murmured, and led me out of the citadel. While he did so, I tried to ignore the eyes that seemed to be burning the back of my head. The only means of communication while we walked was the gentle, insistent tug of his hand and the nervous squeeze of mine in reply. We passed many celebrators, but their cries and songs fell upon our deaf ears; Boromir guided me out of the city entirely, and did not stop until we reached the shores of a mighty river.

The ground beneath us was probably the only patch of grass left untouched by fire or blood. Boromir pulled me to the ground, and we looked to the stars in silence. Naively, I searched the stars for an answer to where fate would take me from here; but of course, I was met with scintillating silence. I jerked slightly when Boromir's fingers suddenly traced the contours of my face before they threaded themselves once more in my hair. "I heard a voice whispering in my head telling me you had fallen- over and over it spoke to me of the truth I did not want to know," he confessed hoarsely.

I curled against him, taking and giving comfort, and clung to the front of his tunic. "I was haunted with the same false words- Sauron had great control over me," I mumbled.

A thick silence fell over us once more. We did not know what to say to one another- were we to simply act as though nothing had happened, or were we supposed to declare love to one another? The latter scared me- did I really love Boromir? Was I ready to be in love at all?

"The hardest decision I have ever made in my life was not upon the battlefield, but when I made the erroneous error of leaving you in Lothloríen," he murmured. His words made my throat constrict with emotion, and so I wordlessly nuzzled my face against his. The coarse facial hair burned my skin slightly, but I found the act itself austerely soothing. Boromir reverently caressed my face with his calloused, scarred hand. "How did you get it back?" he whispered in inquiry.

"My mother," I murmured.

Boromir's brow furrowed in confusion at my words. "That is not possible," he replied in breathless awe.

"I cannot even explain it fully myself," I admitted dryly, "But I know it was her." I closed my eyes to still the tears and pressed my face further into the crook of Boromir's shoulder.

We laid there in silence under the soothing calm and solace of the stars, and exchanged brief kisses and caresses.

Whispers and rumours of the dark skinned magic-woman that had ensnared the affection of the steadfastly aloof Captain of Gondor quickly spread throughout the White City. As soon as I made an appearance in the markets, I would be met with blatant stares and hand-hidden words.

"Excuse me, my lady," a melodic voice of a child called out behind me.

I stopped Arwen and Eowyn, and we then turned to face the source of the voice. She was no more than seven years' old, and had the generic straight, dark hair and porcelain skin that seemed to grace all the women of Gondor. I smiled warmly as I knelt down so that my eyes were level with hers. "Yes, little one?" I asked gently.

"Are you an elf-witch?"

Her straightforward inquiry caused a carefree laugh to fall past my lips. I caressed the side of her face as I patiently explained, "No, I am not an elf- nor am I a witch. I only come from a land very different than your strange one."

"Really?" she inquired, her excitement evident.

"Indeed," I assured her, and rose to my feet, "What is your name, little one?"

At this, she became shy, and she cast her eyes to the cobblestone street. "Marenna, my lady," she answered faintly, as though she expected to be punished.

"Marenna, my name is Terumi- do not call me 'my lady,'" I chided, and then continued slyly, "Would you like to see why people think me a witch?"

Marenna nodded her head vigorously, and she smiled brightly. I looked around the marketplace for some water and after finding a large pot filled with it- I slowly summoned the water to me. Gasps erupted around me as I bent the water about my body; whereas Marenna laughed in delight and beheld the water with awe. "Would you like to play a game with me?" I asked her faintly. When the little girl squealed in delight I explained, "I used to play this game with my only friend when we were young, and quite often at that. So what you need to do is jump right before the water hits your feet." I formed the water into a long, curved tether, and began to slowly swing the water about Marenna.

Just when the water seemed about to hit her feet, Marenna jumped into the air. "I did it!" she exclaimed gleefully.

"Keep going," I encouraged her as I continued to manipulate the tendril. My little presentation had gathered the attention of many- soon more children even joined Marenna. My laughter joined theirs as I elongated the rope of water to accommodate the growing number of children jumping.

"Now what do we have here?" a familiar, baritone voice spoke behind me.

"Boromir," I greeted warmly, and ceased bending. I gently returned the water to its pot, and then turned to face him. My features grew crestfallen when I saw Lady Gwendolynn eying me with conspicuous distaste from behind Boromir.

"Terumi?" Boromir's inquiry returned my attention to him. He looked at me with confused curiosity and urged his horse to walk up to me. "Join me?" he beseeched, leaning out of the saddle to offer me his hand. The women about me sight and tittered to one another in envy, which caused me to blush. "Come on," he urged faintly, lips tilted in a crooked smile.

I slowly placed my hand in his, and let out a startled gasp when he pulled me into the saddle in front of him with ease. "Not too fast," I whispered in worry, eying the horse warily.

Boromir laughed heartily, I felt his chest rumble against my back, and he mused, "You charge an Orc pack singlehandedly, yet you are afraid of a horse? Besides, I would never willingly scare you, remember?" His allusion to his assault on my person when he tried to take the Ring from Frodo seemed so very long ago...yet when he said words like that- it seemed as if it were only yesterday. I ducked my head at my embarrassment for being afraid of something so silly, and nodded faintly.

"A grown woman and yet she is afraid of a simple horse!" Lady Gwendolynn's disdainful scoff caused my head to bow further, and I was thankful when Boromir urged the horse into a trot in the direction of the citadel.

"What troubles you?" Boromir murmured in my ear as he guided the horse through the crowded streets.

"What was the depth of your relationship with Lady Gwendolynn before you set out for Rivendell?" I inquired.


	27. Chapter 27

"My father mentioned his desire at the possibility of our Houses joining in a matrimonial forged union, but that was only in passing. Besides, I was not one for marriage at the time- war was waging around Gondon. I do not know of any feelings she may or may not possess towards me."

Such a diplomatic response, the formal diction of it all caused me to smile wryly at the absurdity of it all. Boromir reined the horse to a halt when we entered the courtyard of the citadel, and slid out of the saddle to lift me off of it. He set me down on my feet and that was when he could see my furrowed brow. "What is it?" he insisted.

"I do not like it here, Boromir," I explained sadly, "The people here whisper incessantly about me, and it's terribly crowded... I do not mean to put such poor character into the place you call home- for it is as beautiful as you have told me, but I do not think a place like this is ready for a person like me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Mothers guard their children from me, afraid that I will snatch them away; men will not look me in the eye, for fear that I will enchant as I supposedly have done to you to gain your ardent affection; even the nobility think me a peasant who merely is in a place of power due to my friendship with Aragorn." I ran nervous, frustrated hands through my tumultuous hair, and paced in front of him. "What do you expect me to do?" I asked, slightly vexed.

Boromir took hold of my hands to cease my neurotic pacing and replied, "Think not of them. I care not what they think of you- nor do your friends. If you wish, you can return to your Elves-"

"-This has nothing to do with the Elves...despite how different they are in their treatment of me when compared to the people of Minas Tirith. I merely want to be able to enjoy being with you without having to worry about a thing," I argued, and met his stern gaze with equal fervor.

"With them is the only place you seem to be truly happy," he mused darkly. Was that envy in his eye?

"I am truly happy when I am with you," I countered. I reached up slowly to take hold of his face and took a step closer to him. "Boromir," I murmured, "The reason I seek the company of the Elves is not due to people in their entirety, but because of Lady Galadriel."

"I fail to see how she affects your happiness."

My throat burned slightly with the threat of tears, making it hard to swallow the inexistent lump therein. "Because she is the mother I never got to know- or have," I answered honestly.

His hardened gaze softened greatly and he drew me into a fierce embrace. "Forgive me, I was harsh in my words," he beseeched faintly.

"I was never upset-"

"-Terumi! Oi, Terumi!" Pippin called out loudly from across the courtyard. He rushed up to me, excitement apparent in his small stature.

"Yes?" I asked patiently.

"We have thought of the grandest idea!" he exclaimed, "We want you to come to the Shire with us!"

I nibbled my lower lip in thought and admitted reluctantly, "Pippin, I would love to...but Boromir has many responsibilities here in Minas Tirith- I would not want to make such a journey without him."

"Terumi, do not waste such an experience on my part," Boromir argued, although I could see the glow of appreciation at my desire to remain with him.

"She will not have to," Aragorn announced as he suddenly appeared from the Great Hall with Gandalf, "Captain Boromir, I am assigning you to protect our Halfling ambassadors safely back to their home, do you accept the task set before you?"

Boromir laughed heartily as he looked down at my evident excitement and answered, "I accept, my King."

"Terumi," Gandalf's grave tone cut in suddenly, "Might I have a word?"

I left Boromir's embrace and went to his side. I followed him as he silently led me to an empty pavilion away from the coming and going people of the court. "Gandalf?" I inquired slowly.

"It has reached my attention that Saruman has managed to convince the Ents to let him leave Orthanc. Despite the defeat of his Dark Master, I have no doubt that the fallen wizard will cause trouble. What concerns me is his great fixation on you, my child."

"To me?" I gasped, "Whatever for?"

"When we attempted to seek his counsel after the victory at Helm's Deep and to find a solution to the devastating malady you faced, he spoke of a great power you possessed. One that you had only used once, and vowed to never wield again...what is that power, Terumi?"

I tensed violently when I realised that somehow Saruman knew of the strange, dark power I had...the very same power I used to control and destroy the Uruk-hai that had shot down Boromir many moons ago. I let out a tremulous sigh, and my head fell into the cradle of my clammy hands. "When we were ambushed by a legion of Uruk-hai after we had traversed the river...Boromir was shot down by the head Uruk," I told Gandalf slowly.

He nodded his understanding of the attack and mused, "Legolas and Aragorn have recounted their knowledge of the incident, but did not know what Saruman spoke of."

"They wouldn't know because they were not there when it happened. When Boromir was shot down...I was consumed by a rage- a rage I have never, nor hope to ever again, encountered. I could _feel_ the pulse of the Uruk's foul blood, and somehow I managed to take control of it. I forced it limbs to break; I forced it to kneel before me," I explained in self loathing, "I wanted it to know who had done such a foul act upon it. I could feel the Uruk's heartbeat in my own hands, and I even _reveled _in hearing the crack of bone when I broke its neck!" Tears of disgust and guilt ran in swift current down my face, my entire body trembled as the memories I had held back for so long came crashing to the forefront of my mind.

I flinched when Gandalf gentle hand rested on the crown of head, and my head bowed even lower. How could I look at a man who filled with such pure goodness, when I was so heavily touched by darkness? "My child, the powers placed upon you will never truly define you, nor do they dictate your actions," Gandalf spoke resolutely.

"How can you be certain?" I begged, desperate for his words to be true.

"Because I know you, Terumi, and you are not a monster."

A few short days later, our small company found ourselves riding out of Minas Tirith- the excitement apparent in the Hobbits at the idea of returning to their new home. "Wait until you try a pint, Terumi! Our ale trumps any other brew!" Merry explained.

"Ale?" I asked, my brow furrowed in confusion.

"Steady on- you've never had a pint- not even a taste- of ale?!" Pippin exclaimed.

Frodo smiled sympathetically at me and whispered, "Now you've done it, you are never going to hear the end of it."

"How can you be older than us, and you have not had an ale?!" Merry inquired, incredulous.

"It is not a drink that is made in our land," I explained patiently, flashing Boromir's an amused smile. However, my mirth was short lived when the horse I was riding snorted and let out a frightened neigh. I pulled the steed to a stop and looked about warily.

"What is it?" Boromir asked faintly.

"Something doesn't feel right," I murmured, "Look after the Hobbits." I clumsily slid out of the saddle, and crept into the shadows. I slowly made my way along the thin group of trees with a tendril of water coiled restlessly about my forearm. The sounds of muffled voices ahead caused my heart to lurch in my chest; I peered around the tree and saw a group of men surrounding what appeared to be a small child. The men were dark skinned and hand many piercings about their persons with permanent ink stains on all skin that was visible. I vaguely recalled what Boromir called them the Haradrim, and that they fought for Sauron.

My heart wrenched at the sight of the dirt-covered child as they lay crying on the ground, and the men laughed darkly. Upon further inspection, I saw that it was a little girl and that her clothes were torn and bruises marred her tanned ivory skin. A rage consumed me at the sight of the abused child, and I came charging into view. "Leave her alone!" I shouted, and raised my hand to strike.


End file.
